Saint in the Shadows
by GCatsPjs
Summary: Things aren't always what they seem... B&B Romance. Post Season 4!Rated more like a T plus for strong language and some violence.
1. Leaning Into the Light

**The Following fic is a work of fiction created by myself (Greysisthecatspajamas) and a wonderful friend of mine (JenMcDreamy). It is a multi-chaptered fic that will hopefully capture your heart, and your mind... Please keep an open mind while reading and understand that not everything is always as it seems... or as rational as Dr. Brennan would like to think. If you'd like to join us for conversation or discussion of the fic further... feel free to e-mail us... or join us on our newly created message board gormogonsvault(dot)forumer(dot)com. If you're a writer, feel free to contribute... so far, only my one story is in the long story section, and there are a couple of one shots in the 'oneshot' section... WE LOVE COMMENTS... and welcome criticism. We don't own BONES or the characters, but we do own a few of the originals in this fic... We hope you enjoy! :) **

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**Chapter 1- Leaning into the Light**

**The future, like the sun's rays, is immeasurable. Try as you might to capture them, it's impossible. The future can just as easily be snuffed out, just as quickly and just as unexpectedly as a sudden burst of light and heat from the sun could obliterate us as a human race. Life, like the future, is full of unpredictable things. But we move forward, regardless. We wake up every day and we plan our day, despite the unexpected changes that we will encounter. We wake up, get out of bed with an idea and a plan, and we continue to live those plans out, day after day, making our lives a worthy expression of leaning into the light...**

**People come into our lives as if they were the phases of the moon. You begin with just a sliver of trust and meaning, and with time, that trust can either become full, and bright... Or it can slide from view once again. Though for every orb of light that welcomes your attention, there are only a select few that are able to warm your face and spirit.**

**Sometimes, when you're staring up to the heavens, watching those phases, you notice that there are differences, nuances that you had never noticed before, like a person that you thought you knew through and through, only to find another secret. There are pockets of uncharted territory that if you were just brave enough, you would reach to the heavens for them, and if you were lucky, you'd find that the ball of light that you were reaching for isn't as large and as out of reach as you once thought. It's not cold or unwelcoming, but warm and inviting, like a good friend who not only treasures the trust, but gives you the gift of their own trust in return. With that, a bond is created, and a strong thread of friendship will pull you to that other person, and an understanding like no other begins to blossom and grow.**

Those people, the select few; the ones that get drawn into your gravitational pull... they are the ones that are with you until the end. They remain a part of your life forever - no matter the distance, no matter the time passage. More often than not you will find that those certain people, or that 'one' special person, has somehow become something else entirely. They have become a part of _you_. And that, as they say... is _everything_.

_Special Agent Seeley Booth stood with his back to the wall, hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans, legs crossed at the ankles. His green, army issued duffel bag sat at his feet, waiting just as motionless as he. With his sniper eyes, he scanned the crowd carefully as the sea of people shuffled through the corridors of the airport. His ears only picked up murmurs of conversation as people passed him. Ever the observer._

_She appeared, seemingly out of thin air, her auburn hair curled around her face, her clear, crystal blue eyes scanning the faces around her until she spotted him. Their eyes connected and the smile that stretched across her lips matched his. When she reached him, he could see tiny droplets of rain that clung to her face and hair; a fine mist that glistened under the harsh florescent lighting. Above the murmuring crowd, thunder rolled in the distance. _

_"You look nervous," Brennan said as she came to stand before him. "I don't think I've ever seen you like this."_

Booth shrugged, "It's the weather. I don't like to fly in these conditions, Bones."

"You'll be fine, Booth," she assured him, shaking her head slightly as a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

A tiny drop of water fell from her hairline and onto her cheek. Without thinking, Booth lifted his hand and wiped the drop away with his thumb, his touch warming her skin as his eyes held hers. His hand lingered until Brennan cleared her throat and took a small step back.

"Where's your gate?" she asked him, her eyes darting around the crowded airport.

Booth gripped his duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder, "I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, Bones. I get a very special gate."

"Impressive," she teased, falling into step beside him as they walked forward, the intimate moment that had passed between them now vanished into thin air.

"So, are you really not going to tell me where you're going?" Brennan asked after they had been walking for a while.

"It's classified," Booth grinned.

"I hate when you say that," she frowned, shoving her hands into the pockets of her faded jeans as they stopped in front of a metal door at the end of the corridor. "You usually always tell me things. Even when you're not supposed to."

Booth sighed heavily. "I know I do, Bones, okay? I know I do. But, this...? This is one thing I can't share with you."

"Does Sweets know where you're going?" She inquired.

"No, he doesn't. And even if he did, he wouldn't tell you, so please don't even try to pester him about finding any information as to my whereabouts, okay?" Booth said sternly. "Promise me."

Brennan frowned again and then rolled her eyes. "Fine. I promise."

"Great," Booth grinned. "See, that wasn't so hard." He nudged his elbow against her arm playfully. "So, you're gonna miss me, right?" He asked. "You probably won't even work on any cases until I get back."

"Why would I not work on cases for the next two weeks?"

"Because, Bones. Face it. You can't work without me. You should take a vacation while I'm gone. A real one. Go to the beach, or something."

"That's ridiculous, Booth. I have en entire team at the Jeffersonian who are perfectly capable of assisting me in your absence. We might even solve a handful of cases while you're gone."

"Suddenly, I feel very insulted," Booth replied.

"Why should you feel insulted? I was just stating the facts. The Jeffersonian hires the best, Booth. You know that," She reminded him.

"I know Bones, just.... nevermind," he sighed. His eyes slid over to the window across the hallway. The rain was relentless, coming down in sheets. He could barely see out onto the runway.

Brennan placed her hand on his arm and he turned his attention to her again. "It's just rain, Booth. You'll be okay. I'm sure the pilot flying your plane is very capable. Have you checked his credentials?"

"No, Bones, I have not checked his credentials," he replied dryly.

"Oh," she shrugged. "Well, I'm sure he's well qualified."

"Thanks, Bones. Really. My nerves are so much better now," he stated sarcastically.

She smiled up at him, "Glad I could help."

"Yeah," He nodded, "If something happens to me... you already promised to come and visit me." He said, the words sort of trailing off on his lips, sounding a bit morbid at the moment, he watched her eyes narrow in denial.

"Booth, nothing's going to-"

"You remember, right?" He asked again, cutting her off.

"Yes," she nodded, "I remember."

He watched her eyes for several moments, the memory of that afternoon walk through the cemetery fresh in their minds, the promise that she had used more than just a mere word. It was a promise, and he could feel the pride swelling his heart at that moment, the only thing that was able to pull him away from his thoughts was the strong arm of a fellow agent, grabbing hold of his bicep, releasing it as he nodded toward the door. "I'll see you later, Bones." He said, his charm smile brightening the expression on his face as he felt her hand grab hold of his, almost as if she were trying to pull him back. "I'll be back before you even know I was gone."

"That's impossible, Booth." She said in a tone he was all too familiar with. She felt something cool pressing into her palm and she looked down at their joined hands. "What's-"

"Hold onto it. For safe keeping," he said to her as she peered down at the silver St. Christopher medal now resting in her hand. Her eyes locked with his for a moment. "Be safe. And when I get back, there's something important we should discuss," He whispered as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead, without thinking or caring of the implications, or who saw, and before she could react, he was turning into the driving rain and running toward the waiting plane.

"I'll see you when you get back!" She called, knowing that he probably couldn't hear her over the sound of the rain pounding on the roof, and the crowds of people in the terminal. They were common words of farewell, where to some people it meant goodbye. She wasn't saying goodbye, however. Her words were a declaration that she would see him when he returned, a promise. Also in those words, she was wishing him all of the luck in the world.

She watched as the metal door closed behind the two agents, sealing her away from the torrential rain as they braved it in order to run toward their plane. She hurried to the nearby window and saw the blurry outline of two figures as they ran through the heavy downpour toward the awaiting plane. If she believed in God like Booth did, she would have said a prayer for his safety in this moment, but instead, she tightened her grip on the round medal in her hand and promised to keep it safe for Booth, even though her brain said he was overreacting by giving it to her.

She watched for several minutes at the window as slowly, the small plane began to make its way down the runway. She waited, watching with her breath held until it disappeared into the hazy mist of the rain. She turned just then, to make her way toward the garage when she both heard, and felt the ground shaking explosion. She felt herself gasp, a near whimper of disbelief as she turned and slammed her hands against the window that just moments before she had been staring longingly out of.

In the blur of the rain pouring down the pane of glass, in the clouds of dank, depressing, fog and mist that rose from the tarmac, she was horrified by the fiery ball of flames that was only moments ago the airplane that was carrying her partner and his colleagues. She could feel her throat beginning to close up, her jaw open in stunned silence as her hands pressed harder into the glass. The only word she could force from her lips was the sound of a whispered and strangled "No!" that fell upon deaf ears. 

**And sometimes as swiftly as they came into your life, they are pulled from it. It can be tender and soft, a passing where the pain is shared. But it can also be blunt and horrific, where the pain of both is shared by just one person. However, the future is unknowing, unforgiving, and relentless, and where dreams have gone up in smoke, we have but simple objects, memories, and promises that live on in so many ways. Promises that will never be broken.**

_"When I inevitably drop dead before you. I'd like you come out and spend some time and talk to me every once in a while." Booth said, glancing to his partner as he watched her eyes flash to him momentarily, as they made their way through the cemetery grounds quietly._

"I'll feel foolish knowing you can't hear me." She said, sighing, their pace was in step and even, her eyes concerned, but showing the thoughtfulness within them.

"Promise." He said, his tone definitive.

She paused for only a second before she whispered her reply. "...I promise."

She smiled at his chuckle, glancing to him now and then as they walked. "Hey, there you go. Huh? You agreed. I didn't think you would agree. Now, why did you agree?" He asked in a sardonic tone.

"I believe that if I pretended you were still here. I would feel better for a moment. Also speaking to you would require me to figuratively look at myself through your eyes, again temporarily. And I think that would make me live my life more successfully." She said tenderly, definitively, lovingly.

**One year later-**

The April rain was relentless, cold and stinging on her skin, her hands bare as she stood before the gravestone of her friend. She held the hook of the umbrella tightly in her hand, his umbrella. For some reason it made her think of him, using something that he had owned, something he had used to shelter her from the cold rain, something that meant nothing to him, but she had kept as sort of a relic, to remind herself on these cold, lonely days that he was still there, even if she knew it was just an inanimate object with no value other than to keep her clothing dry, it was still part of him. Booth.

She could feel the tears on her cheeks, warm against her skin compared to the raindrops that fell around her, her loose hand moving slowly to her swollen belly as she stared at the stone before her. She wanted to say something to him, anything. She had sometimes even come prepared with the words that she wished to speak to him, but today she was silent. The anniversary of the accident, explosion, the anniversary of the day that her partnership ended, the anniversary of the day that the connection that she had with that one person was ripped from her grasp.

There were no words on this day that she could share with the stone before her, there was nothing that she could do to force the words she wanted to say from her lips. What would be the point now? What would it matter? Who would hear them anyway? There were too many questions that she already knew the answer to, and couldn't bear to hear. Too many answers that she had given that had broken her heart. She swallowed hard and opened her palm, her thumb and forefinger still holding the umbrella as she allowed the shiny chain to dangle from her fingertips.

The medal of the pendant seemed to glimmer in the light, even though the rain poured down around her. She stared at it for a moment, watching the tiny oval medallion twirl on its chain, stopping as the saint that adorned it stared back at her as she whispered the only words she was able to utter. "Goodbye, Booth." She whispered, her voice hoarse and soft. "I'll be back to see you again soon." She whispered, as she closed her eyes tightly and grabbed the pendant from her other hand, she turned and opened her eyes as she walked back down the grassy path toward her waiting car, unable to even attempt to look back at the resting place of her best friend and partner.


	2. My Favorite Formicidae

**_Approximately THREE years later._**

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"Hurry, Mama… I can't be late... he's waiting!" The little girl exclaimed as she pulled at her mother's arm as they walked to the elevator.

"Who is waiting?" She teased, "Do you have a date?" Temperance asked as the little girl nodded, not really knowing what her mother meant, but it sounded pleasant enough, so she agreed. "Aren't you a little young to be dating?" She asked the skipping ball of energy that was pulling at her arm, her brown eyes looking up at her mother's with a glint of giddiness that Temperance could never resist.

"No…Uncle Bugs promised me something." She said as she pulled her mother's arm again, jumping up before Temperance could get to it, the little girl pushed the button to go down.

"We're going up… up to the lab…" She said as she pointed at the up arrow and pushed the button.

"I can't reach that one…"

"So you'd rather go down to the basement? You know what's down in the basement don't you?" She asked, widening her eyes and raising her eyebrows as the elevator doors opened. The little girl moved to push the number '3' on the button panel, until Temperance lifted her up to push the '5' and set her to the floor, her attention back on her mother's face.

"What's there, Mama? What's in the basement?" She asked, looking at the surprised look on her mother's face as Temperance crouched down to her level.

"That's where they keep the dinosaurs! Grr…." She exclaimed as she tickled the little girl, listening to her squeal as she hopped up and down and laughed, just as the elevator doors opened, she took off running down the hallway.

"Antonia!" She exclaimed as she stepped out of the elevator, watching as the little girl disappeared around the corner running as if she were being chased. "Don't run in the lab, Antonia!" Temperance exclaimed, knowing her exclamation was not heard or heeded, as she picked up her pace and rushed down the hallway toward the lab.

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The doors of the lab whooshed open just as the little girl reached them, her arms were outstretched, her tiny pink backpack was bouncing on her back as she screamed and entered into the lab. All eyes were now on the little girl, attention that she seemed to crave whenever she entered the Jeffersonian, and it was never discouraged, because there was always someone on the other side of those sliding glass doors that was expecting her.

"What on earth is all this screaming about?" Angela said as she stepped out of her office just as the little girl ran past, running a circle around the platform just as Temperance came through the door. "She went that way…" Angela pointed toward the offices, though the screaming voice could be heard rounding the platform on the other side.

"Antonia! Please!" Temperance exclaimed as the sound of tiny feet could be heard clomping up a set of stairs... "Antonia, no!" She exclaimed as the alarm on the platform started to sound, lights and alarms stopped the little girl in her tracks.

Her hand flew up and covered her mouth in a giggling surprise, as she was scooped up by the one person she was looking for. He swiped his card through the sensor as the little girl started a giggle fit. "Uncle Bugs!" She giggled as he lifted her up and watched her big brown eyes glitter with the lights of the lab, her smile wide and happy, the dimples sitting at the corners of her mouth as she opened her mouth in a full laugh. "Lemme down!" She squeaked.

"Well if it isn't my favorite _Formicidae_?" He asked with a smile as he set the little girl to the floor, crouching down, he tapped her nose lightly with his finger as she flinched a little and giggled.

"Ant." She said, tipping her head and giving him a concerned look. "My name is Ant, Uncle Bugs."

"Oh! Right... Ant... I thought you were someone else." He said as the clacking shoes of the little girl's mother could be heard coming in their direction. "Hurry... get to your workstation! The boss is coming!" He whispered as the little girl giggled and ran across to a small stool against a stainless steel shelf, already marked with crayon from other visits. Hodgins stood in front of his tiny partner in crime and crossed his arms in front of him.

"Doctor B. What brings you by?"

"Hodgins, she shouldn't be on the forensics platform! What if there were remains up here? I would like for her to be able to go to bed without nightmares for at least the first few years of her life if I can help it." She said as she took a step to her right, just as Hodgins took a step to his left, blocking her from the little girl.

"I'm very busy mommy..." Antonia said from her 'workstation', bending over the tiny shelf as she scribbled over a piece of paper.

"She's very busy... and Dr. Antonia does not like to be interrupted." Hodgins said in a serious voice.

"Hodgins, she is three years old, she is obviously not old enough to have a doctorate."

"I am a doctor, Mommy... just like you..." She smiled a lopsided grin that never failed to get her absolutely anything that she wanted.

"She's got you there, doesn't she?" Hodgins said with a faux pained expression. "You're not immune to the power of cuteness either, Dr. B..."

"Cuteness is not a scientific variable, Dr. Hodgins." She sighed as she turned to see Cam walking toward them over the platform.

"Doctor Saroyan." Hodgins smiled as he glanced back to the little girl and then to his boss. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm fine..." She said, giving him a tilt of her head before she shook her head and looked to Temperance. "Doctor Brennan... we've been thinking of installing a baby gate on the forensic platform... if you'd like..."

"I don't like that idea at all." Angela shook her head as she approached the group on the platform. "It's hard enough to get Jack to come home at night as it is... and you want to put up another impedance." She laughed.

"Wait..." He said as gave her a humored, scrutinizing look. "Are you insulting my work ethic, or my height?" He said with a chuckle.

"You're short..." Antonia said from her workstation, looking up to grin at her favorite 'uncle'.

"That's enough out of you, squirt squint..." He said with a chuckle as she giggled and went back to coloring.

"Doctor Brennan... I am going to need to have a word with you on this new case that's coming in today." Cam said, watching Temperance nod as she glanced to Jack.

"Listen... she can stay up here for now..." Temperance said as she glanced to Cam and back to Hodgins. "But no beetle racing."

"Aw, come on, Doctor B!" he exclaimed as Temperance started to walk away.

"No beetles, Jack..." She said as she stepped off the platform with Cam.

"Fine!" He exclaimed, glancing to Angela as he continued his exclamation. "But just wait until I tell her what those beetles do in their spare time!" He exclaimed as his wife promptly smacked him on the arm as she shook her head and turned around, leaving the little girl with her favorite squint.

Cam walked with Temperance toward her office, their pace was quick and their strides long as Cam turned around suddenly, just before they walked into the office. "Are you alright, Doctor Brennan?" She asked, tilting her head toward the doctor, watching her head tilt in question, her eyes widen in surprise at the question.

"Yes." She stated curtly, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Why?"

"You just look a little tired, is all…"

"I've been having trouble sleeping… nothing out of the ordinary. My dreams have been a little more… surreal than I'd like them to be." She replied as Cam nodded and turned toward her office, moving toward her desk, she sat on the edge of it. It was very rare to see Dr. Saroyan sitting at her desk. It was almost as if she didn't like to sit still, she always needed to be involved in something. She also prided herself in the comfortable atmosphere in the lab. To sit behind the desk would suggest that she felt that she was superior to her colleagues, and although sometimes she had to be hard on them, she preferred to think of them as her equals, extended family.

She looked to Temperance, who eyed the chair beside her for a second, and followed her boss' hand that invited her to sit. She sat, relieved to be off of her feet for a moment, her eyes traveled to the open door, and then back to her boss. "Doctor Brennan… we have a new case coming in that… is a bit disturbing."

"I was under the impression that all of our cases were disturbing, Dr. Saroyan. We deal with death and murder on a daily basis. I don't think that murder could be described as anything less than disturbing." Temperance replied, her eyes flashing to the open door again, and back to her boss.

"Well…" Cam said as she stood up and leaned against the desk, looking down at the obviously distracted forensic anthropologist. "This is slightly more disturbing than some of our cases in the past." She said as she stood up and walked toward the door. She reached for the door and closed it most of the way, turning to see that Temperance's eyebrows were raised in question. "There are two bodies… both children… they were found in two different places, but both… murders were carried out in a similar fashion."

"A serial killer."

"A child killing… serial killer, Doctor Brennan." She sighed as Temperance seemed to be visually affected by this. "I know… that you have been reluctant to work with the FBI closely on these cases… I understand that you don't want to go out into the field."

"I don't work with the FBI at all, Doctor Saroyan. I don't go out into the field… I have a child to raise. I can't be putting myself in harm's way. She needs me… she needs me to be alive, and I can't…"

"I'm not asking you… to put yourself in harm's way, Doctor Brennan… but we do need you on this case… in the field… and you're going to have to work with the FBI on it. That means you're going to need a…"

"I don't want a partner… Doctor Saroyan." Temperance said stubbornly. "I will work in conjunction with the FBI on lab matters, but I will not…"

"Doctor Brennan… You need to get out of the lab. You work for the Jeffersonian Institute… we work with the FBI, not against. If I felt that we had someone else who could do this, I would send them, but I need you on this. You are assigned to this case, and you will participate accordingly." She said as her voice became deeper, sterner, more agitated. "And if you don't like it, you can find yourself someplace else to work." She said, immediately regretting that statement, as Temperance straightened her back and stood up. She looked at her boss, her arms crossed across her chest, her lips in a straight line, her eyes serious and steady.

"Who will I be working with on this case?" She asked curtly, her eyes staring through her boss at this point.

"Special Agent Christopher Harding, Doctor Brennan."

"Thank you." She said as she nodded her head. "You can direct him to my office when he gets here." She stated as she turned sharply and exited the office without another word spoken.


	3. Vulnerable

Her shoes clacked hard on the tile surface, and her nose was turned up as she stepped out of the office, her eyes moving across the lab to the platform, where Hodgins sit at his work station, her daughter on a barstool across from him, giggling as she held a jar over two beetles. Hodgins looked up at Temperance with a look of apology, and possibly a bit of fear, and half expected for him to be at the center of her wrath. He was quite surprised when she merely glared, turned and stalked toward her office angrily. He looked up toward his wife's office. "Ange…" He said, watching her eyes look up and meet his. He nodded toward Brennan's office, and Angela nodded in acknowledgement as she stood up and made her way quickly toward her best friend's office.

She entered the office with no warning, with no fear, and no expectation as she knew that the quieter that her friend was, the more angry she was. Angela stepped into the office to find Temperance sitting at her desk, shuffling through several case files that lay on her desk in neat piles, her eyes not moving up to meet her friend's eyes, for she knew that it was unnecessary. Angela would start, she always did.

"Sweetie…" She said, the first word to most conversations with her best friend as Temperance still hadn't looked up at her. "What's going on? New case?"

"I'm working, Angela." Temperance said in an angry tone, the pen in her hand pushing so hard on the paper that it nearly tore through it.

"Come on, Bren… out with it…"

"It's nothing." She growled under her breath as she looked up at the clock. "Where the hell is my father?" She sighed as she shook her head and looked back at the paper in front of her.

"Max is taking Ant?" Angela asked, assuming that this subject might be less explosive.

"Yes." Temperance sighed. "He said he was taking her to get her birthday gift… he had it special ordered and it hadn't arrived by her birthday. He was supposed to have been here when I got here this morning, and now… now she's out there playing with beetles..."

"Sweetie, she's a kid… she's playing…"

"The lab is not a place for a child to be playing, Ange." Temperance growled.

"Cam wants you to go out into the field, doesn't she?" Angela said flatly. Leave it to Angela to pull no punches. "She's assigning you to an agent, and you have to go out into the field." Temperance was silent, her signature on the papers in front of her was becoming more and more erratic. Angela reached out and grabbed her hand suddenly, stopping the rampage that the pen was wreaking on the paper before her. "Bren…" She sighed, waiting for her friend to look up at her. "Come on, Bren… talk to me."

"It is… a serial killer case." Temperance swallowed, slowly pulling her hand from her friend's grip, she continued her work, glancing up into Angela's eyes, her friend could see the sadness in her blue eyes, the frustration.

"You're worried you're going to get hurt?"

"Yes." She sighed. "But not physically." She said as she stood up abruptly and grabbed the papers, turning to the filing cabinet, she began rifling through the folders.

"Brennan… you're worried about falling in…"

"Angela." She said turning around quickly, she caught her friend's eyes with her own and held them for several seconds. "A partner in a case like that is going to involve more emotional baggage that I wish to carry. A partner in a case like this is going to require hours of time spent together, looking into leads… interrogating suspects… looking into the eyes of a man or woman who was able to… to harm an innocent child." She said, her eyes filling with tears as she spoke. "I don't think… that in my current situation… I can… distance myself emotionally… and I am not willing to share that with just anyone. I am not willing… to… let myself feel…"

"Vulnerable?"

"Yes." Temperance said, her eyes staring steadily at her friend now, her fingers falling from the folders in the drawer as she shoved the papers she had just signed into them. "I am not who I was three years ago, Angela." She said with a sigh. "I am a mother… I'm a teacher… I have students, who depend on me here at the Jeffersonian. I haven't been in the field in far too long to be thrown into it suddenly like this."

"They're only asking for the best, Sweetie. You're the best." Angela said as she leaned forward across the desk. "Listen… I'm here for you, okay? Jack is here… Cam… We're supporting you… just like we used to… we're a team, Bren… we're your team… and if anyone can catch the sick bastard that murdered those children… it's going to be us… FBI or not… we're the ones that are going to be solving the case… they're just the courier…" She said as she noticed her friend's focus was now on something else, the door of her office.

Angela turned her head, and Temperance swore she heard a satisfied groan from her best friend's throat. She wouldn't be surprised, and her lip curled into a slight smile at the sound, happy for at least some sort of status quo around the lab. "Can I help you?" She asked, looking at the tall, lanky figure in her doorway. He looked strong, confident, his dark brown hair gelled and combed, his dark eyes startling at first sight as he leaned almost familiarly on the door jamb.

"I'm Special Agent Christopher Harding." He said, taking a step into the office, he held his hand out toward the Doctor. "You must be Temperance Brennan." He said with a lopsided grin as he crossed the office in long strides, his hand hovering in the air as Brennan stared at it for a second and looked him in the eyes.

"Doctor. Brennan." She said, glancing to Angela, who made a slight growling sound as she turned and sat down in the visitor's chair, watching her best friend sit in her chair behind her desk, folding her hands before her as the agent awkwardly stuffed his outstretched hand into his pants pocket.

"Doctor… Brennan, I'm sorry." He nodded as he took a step back. "You can call me Christopher." He said with a friendly smile, that quickly disappeared at noticing that the forensic anthropologist was not impressed by his happy attitude, his outward friendliness.

"I prefer to call you Agent Harding. We prefer to keep things professional around here." She said coldly as Angela wrung her hands out behind the man, mouthing the word 'wow' as she motioned the man's broad and attractive appearance.

"This is Angela Montenegro." She said suddenly, as the agent turned around to see the woman behind him putting her hands down quickly and tossing her friend a humored, though maybe slightly irritated look at revealing her activities behind his back. "She's our forensic artist."

Angela leaned forward and took the man's hand, shaking it firmly as she smiled at him. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Montenegro. " he said politely as she smiled wickedly at him.

"Oh, you can call me Angela… I'm not a stick in the mud like Bren here…" She said as she felt her friend's icy glare in her direction for a split second, before she sighed.

"Have a seat, Agent Harding." Temperance said quickly as she began shuffling several papers around on her desk, forgetting that the only other chair in her office was a small pink plastic chair that was obviously reserved for a child. He looked to Angela and to Temperance, who wasn't paying attention, and Angela shrugged at him as he raised his eyebrows as if to ask if she was serious. So, being an ambassador of good faith, he crouched down and sat on the tiny pink chair, just as Temperance turned to look across at them. Her jaw dropped as she almost let out a guffaw, and the agent looked up at her with a pleading look.

"Is this how you do business, Doctor Brennan?" he said with a humored expression. "You try to embarrass your guests into submission?" He chuckled.

"Oh! I…" She exclaimed as suddenly, appearing in the doorway was none other than a smaller version of the woman behind the desk. Her long brown hair was up in pigtails, and she wore a set of goggles and a lab coat that was far too big for her. "Antonia…" Temperance said as she watched her daughter stand staring at the man who was sitting in her chair. "Please have Uncle Bugs bring a chair in for Agent Harding."

The little girl shook her head as she crossed her arms over her chest. She sighed heavily, a perfect impression of her mother as she reached her hand out. "Up, up…" She said, sighing one more time. "That's my chair." She said as Agent Harding carefully stood up and gave the little girl a faux embarrassed look, as she reached forward and snatched the chair from beneath the man, running from the room quickly.

"Wow… the scientists around here are getting younger and younger…" he said as he shook his head, noticing the smile that had appeared on Doctor Brennan's face as she watched her daughter disappear around the corner of the office. He turned toward the door as Hodgins entered the room, pulling along with him a computer chair on wheels. On the chair, sat the small child from just a moment before, her goggles now around her neck, her lab coat hanging down well below her as she laughed with Hodgins as he pushed the chair into the room.

"Here's your chair, Doctor B." He said as he swung the little girl from the chair into his arms, turning toward the FBI agent who stood humored before him, the little girl's brown eyes watching him curiously as she gripped Hodgins tightly. "I'm Jack Hodgins… bug and slime guy…" He said, holding his hand out, suddenly realizing that he was still wearing a latex glove on his hand, he chuckled to himself as he pulled it from his hand. "Sorry… kids are sticky…" He shrugged as the little girl turned to face her mother as Hodgins held her.

"Antonia." Temperance said softly to her daughter. The little girl was typically very open with everyone, though on occasion, she would pick moments to become shy. She had obviously not been shy when she came in several moments earlier to ask about her chair, so Temperance wasn't sure why she was suddenly acting bashful. "Please be polite."

The little girl looked up from her hiding spot, and instantly held her hand out to the agent, her eyes were sparkling with mischief as she grinneded a half grin. "Hiya… I'm Ant." She said as the man held his hand out to the little girl. She shook his hand playfully and giggled as he smiled down at her.

"This is my daughter, Antonia…" Brennan said as she walked around the desk and lifted the little girl from Hodgin's arms, he smiled and turned, walking out of the office silently as he waved Angela to come with him. She waved him off and watched him roll his eyes, smiling as he disappeared around the corner.

Agent Harding smiled at the little girl and watched Doctor Brennan carefully. There was something intensely familiar about the little girl that she held in her arms, something about the way she smiled, something in her eyes that he recognized, but internally shook it off as being just a figment of his imagination.

"She's the most important thing in my life, Agent Harding." She cleared her throat. "There was a time when I didn't think that anything could compare to my love for the work that I do… but she's surpassed that affection, that love, and then some. I can't be involved in anything dangerous… anything that might put my life in danger." She said solemnly. "I have responsibilities that I did not have in the past when I worked with the FBI."

"With Agent Booth?" He asked, his eyes again moving to the little girl, and then to her mother.

"Yes." She said simply as she walked around the desk.

"Agent Booth was a very good friend of mine, Doctor Brennan. He saved my life... more than once. We worked…"

"Um… Sweetie…?" Angela said as she suddenly appeared behind the agent, touching his shoulder lightly, she shook her head as Temperance sat at her desk, her daughter in her lap as she watched the agent look into her eyes. He realized suddenly that he needed to stop. He took a step back and gave her an apologetic look as he sat back in the chair that Hodgins had brought in. Angela turned and sat in her own chair, feeling the silence fill the room like a smoke bomb.

He was going to whisper an apology, when she reached her hand across the desk. "Is that the case file?" She asked, nodding toward Angela to indicate that she was alright, that she could handle this on her own for now.

"I'm going to… go… do stuff…little A… you up for it? We can wait for your grandpa out here…" She asked as the little girl nodded her head eagerly and kissed her mother's cheek before sliding from her knee and making her way around the desk. She latched onto the artist's hand and skipped out of the room with her.

Angela kept herself busy with Ant, drawing pictures and playing little games while they waited for Max to arrive. She took a glance now and then toward the office of her best friend, watching her body language, listening to her tone. The agent had moved his chair closer to her desk, still a good distance from her as they viewed several pictures in a folder. After almost a half an hour, the agent stood up and held his hand out to Temperance. She stood up and shook the agent's hand, watching as he turned to leave.

She stood up and quietly told Ant to remain where she was, the little girl nodded and watched the artist follow the agent for a moment, calling his name, he turned around and smiled at Angela. "Is she alright with it?" Angela asked the agent softly.

"She appears to be alright with it… is she going to be able to handle this?" He asked curiously, knowing and understanding the past that the Jeffersonian had with the FBI, and the issues that they had come across following Agent Booth's death.

"She is very… adept at compartmentalizing." Angela nodded. "Just… one thing…"

"Yeah… I had to ask… her... daughter, is she...?"

She held her hand up to stop his question, knowing the words that would probably slip out. "We… all think… but we've never asked. But that's one thing you need to know about Brennan." Angela sighed. "If she doesn't offer up information, then we're not privy to it, Agent Harding. She and Agent Booth had a very... close relationship... and she is still very much in a lot of pain over it, and what the FBI put us all through after his death." She whispered. "Just give her a little time... she'll soften up a bit…" Angela nodded.

"Are you sure?" He asked, glancing over to the doctor's office as she stood in the doorway to her office, watching her little girl play, a slight smile on her face as she remained immersed in her daughter's happiness for a few moments.

"I'm positive." She replied, watching the agent smile as he nodded to her and walked toward the sliding glass doors on his way to the exit.


	4. Accept the Exception

Temperance was sitting in her office staring at the blank computer screen for several moments after her new 'partner' had left her office. She didn't want a partner. She didn't need one. She was fine working at the Jeffersonian with her bones and her bodies, all evidence brought to her. It had been this way since that day. It had been this way for no other reason than the fact that she couldn't bring herself to rely on someone to keep her safe. She had to do that for herself, and if that meant she locked herself in her secure lab with her team surrounding her, and the FBI bringing evidence to her, then so be it.

This was different, however. They wanted her to go out into the field again. They wanted her to feel that rush, that exhilaration. They wanted her to feel the pain that the victims experienced and see the places that the bodies were found. They wanted her back in the field because that was where she was at her best, where she had been at her best, with Booth. She could feel her jaw set as soon as the name left the depths of her mind, entering the forefront. She closed her eyes, seeing his face in her mind and she almost let out an angry sob. Though her daughter's squealing voice instantly lifted her from her thoughts. She looked up to see her father, walking across the lab, her tiny daughter attached to his neck as he held her tightly in his arms, moving slowly toward her office.

As he walked toward the office, Temperance walked toward the door. "Hey Honey." Max said softly.

"Dad… you're late."

"I know… I know, I was running behind… you understand, don't you? She looks like she's doing fine here…" Max said to the little girl as he looked down at her grinning smile.

"I missed you, Oompa." Ant giggled as she held on tightly to her grandfather.

"Sweetheart, you look upset." Max said, noting the redness in his daughter's eyes, the stern look on her face.

"I'm fine." She replied. "I'm fine, Dad… it… its just promising to be a long day."

"There was a man in my chair in mommy's office, Oompa." Ant tattled softly, trying to sound sad about it as Max gave her a sympathetic look.

"A man in your chair, how awful…" He said, glancing to Temperance for an explanation.

"It was nothing." Temperance replied.

"Yes, Oompa… he was in my chair in mama's office… she looked mad…"

"Temperance…" Max said as she looked into his eyes. She held a stern expression on her face, but he could see through that tough exterior she was trying so hard to maintain.

"Dad, I have some work that I have to get done." She said as she took a step backwards. "I'll… try not to be over too late to get her."

"Tempe, you look tired… she can stay with me tonight, you should get home and get some…"

"No." She said sternly. "She hasn't stayed away from home… and she's not going to… she doesn't have to. She comes home with me." She stated clearly to her father, watching him tilt his head. "No… Dad, she comes home with me."

"Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you. If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't let you take her at all. I'll try not to be too late."

"Alright… you had better tell me what's going on tonight, Tempe… If you need to talk."

"I know, Dad." She said softly as she nodded, stepping forward. "Alright, Antonia… will you be extra good for your Oompa?"

"Yes."

"He has a very special birthday gift for you." Temperance said, trying to put on a brave face for her little girl.

"I love gifts, Oompa." She said with a smile.

"I love you, Antonia." Temperance said, leaning forward to kiss her daughter's cheek.

"I love you, Mama Bones." She said, watching Temperance pause for a moment and stare into her eyes.

"Huh?" She whispered, watching the tender brown eyes of her daughter as they smiled back at her.

"Mama Bones…" She giggled, the reaction that her mother gave her was humorous to the little girl, though she didn't know why her mother wasn't smiling. "It was funny, mama… you like bones, and you're my mama…" She shrugged.

Temperance nodded, understanding her daughter's logic, she smiled a little and kissed her daughter's cheek again. "Don't call me bones…" She said as she tickled the little girl's belly as she let out a laughing squeal, tipping her head back as she giggled. "Be a good girl…"

"Bye, mama…"

"Bye, sweetheart." She said softly, watching as Max started to carry her toward the door. She had just turned toward her office when she heard her daughter yelling loudly, struggling against her grandfather, Temperance turned to watch her daughter run to her table beside the platform and grab her favorite stuffed animal. She turned and looked at her mother, waving as she ran to Max and latched onto his hand as he led her from the lab quietly.

------------___________

Temperance spent much of her morning and into the afternoon in her office. She walked out to the forensic platform as soon as she heard that the bodies were on their way. She tried very hard to prepare herself for what she was going to see when they arrived, and she pushed what emotions she could to the back of her mind. Angela was watching her from her office, she could feel the stare of her best friend from across the room, and while at most times she was annoyed with her ability to be like a mother hen, she was relieved at this moment that she was standing behind her.

For the most part, since the day that Booth had died, Brennan had shut herself off from the FBI and their investigations. She had done a complete about face and refused to work in the field. She focused on the bodies in limbo, focused on her graduate students, and focused on raising her daughter. She had severed ties with the FBI. There had been resistance at first, but the wounds were fresh, and the way that the FBI had dealt with the death of Special Agent Seeley Booth had been the final straw for Temperance.

She stood atop the platform, her eyes focused on the doors to the loading dock, as suddenly the lab came alive with workers. Everything else was dropped as the evidence began to roll in, and with a deep breath and a heavy heart, Temperance got to work immediately.

-----------____________

Max stepped into his apartment with his granddaughter, her tiny feet carrying her quickly into the apartment as she grinned up at him happily. They had spent the afternoon at the park, a picnic of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and an energetic romp along the trails, and at the playground. The apartment was familiar to Max at least, and Antonia had spent her share of evenings there as well. After Booth had died, the changes had all been made very quickly. Temperance had been named executor of his will, and most of his belongings had gone to his son. She was left in charge of his estate, and though it didn't include very much, it included his apartment. She had kept the apartment with his things, unoccupied at first, though she had found that it offered a certain amount of solace, peace of mind. Though her mind couldn't rationally wrap itself around the purpose of that feeling of safety in his apartment, she decided that she was not willing to give this particular piece of her partner away. So being the practical person that she was, she changed the lease to herself, and allowed her father to have her apartment.

Max moved through the apartment quickly, watching the little girl hop onto the couch as she looked over the back at him, a grin on her face as she watched him pull a large box covered in colorful wrapping paper from within the kitchen. "Oh wow!" She exclaimed excitedly as she hopped on the couch. "Oompa! Oompa! What is that?"

"This… is your birthday gift!" He said with a smile as he slid it across the floor. "Are you ready to open it up?"

"YES!" She exclaimed loudly, jumping to the floor, she ran toward her grandfather quickly and grabbed hold of the box, pulling at the paper eagerly. She stopped when she came to just a big brown box with no markings, she took a step back. "It's a box." She said disappointed as she looked up at her grandfather with a furrowed brow.

"A box?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "Silly… it's what is inside the box. That is the gift…"

"Oh!" She exclaimed as she hopped up trying to peer in, she watched as Max pulled the object from within the box, letting the Styrofoam fall from the box onto the floor as her jaw dropped at the object that he pulled from the box. "What is that, Oompa?" She asked, the awe in her voice was enough to make Max smile as her brown eyes widened with surprise.

"This…" He said as he pulled a large round tubed object from within the box and placed it beside him on the table. "This is a… telescope." He said, watching the little girl's eyes widen even more when he pulled the tripod from the box, and started to assemble it quickly.

"What is that mean?" She asked, still delighted and surprised by her gift, though very confused as to what she was supposed to do with it.

"Well…" Max said with a smile as he watched the wonder in the little girl's face. "Up in the sky… at night time… there are millions of tiny lights…"

"Stars, Oompa."

"Yes…" He chuckled. "Stars… and… with this… you can see more and more of those millions of stars… you can see planets and constellations… and the man in the moon…"

She gasped with excitement, a grin on her face. "Mama says that is not a real man in the moon… she says it is just what my eyes see, not what is there."

"Well… with this new telescope… we can see if your mama is right." He winked as she laughed, very excited about her grandfather's gift.

--------------------___________________

The hours seemed to melt together as Temperance worked with the remains. They were so small, so fragile, and each time she looked to the forensics table, she couldn't help but gasp a little at the size of them. Most of the flesh had been eaten away, there was work to be done with particulates and bugs that Hodgins had quietly begun taking care of immediately, and Angela had been watching her friend carefully as she worked with x-rays and other data collected from the bodies as she asked her intern to prepare the bones to be cleaned.

Thirty hours were needed, and she appeared to be waiting them out as much as she could in her office, though it was something that would obviously not be done until the next day, she needed to calm down. She needed to relax. She needed to find something to distract her from the tiny bones that she would have to work with the next afternoon.

"Doctor Brennan?" Cam's voice startled her from her reverie, making her jump as her eyes moved to her boss.

"Cam… I didn't think anyone was still here." She said as she put her pen down and looked up at her boss as she hovered in the doorway.

"I'm still here…" She nodded.

"Oh." Temperance said, looking down at her paper.

"I was just leaving." Cam replied.

"Mm…"

"You probably should too, Doctor Brennan." Cam said, waiting for her colleague to reply, only to watch her write a few more things down.

"Um… I was… just finishing up a few things around here… I wanted to have a full pre-report for Agent Harding for the morning." She said without looking up.

"Doctor Brennan." Cam said, waiting for a full twenty seconds before she looked up at her. "I'm sorry… for having to threaten you like that."

"You didn't threaten me… you motivated me… you're right. I have to do my job as I am assigned." She replied coldly. "It's only… rational to use my skills as a forensic anthropologist in order to solve… a case that the FBI has no clue about solving. I understand that the FBI is incompetent. I accept that, and will do my very best to aid them in the investigation."

"I appreciate that, Doctor Brennan." She said as she paused for a second.

"I'll be going home soon, Cam." She said, looking up at the concerned expression on her boss's face. "I promise."

Cam nodded, passing a slight smile to her colleague. "Goodnight, Doctor Brennan."

"Goodnight, Dr. Saroyan." She said, turning back to her paperwork for a few more minutes before sighing. She wrote a couple more notes, and then stood up, shutting down her computer, she grabbed her bag and cell phone from her desk, and made her way quickly and quietly out of the lab, toward her car.

She drove silently toward her father's apartment, the large SUV that she had purchased for its 'safety' features was easy to maneuver through the streets of Washington DC, and it always made her feel better having a larger car. When Antonia was born, she had assumed that she'd need more safety and security, and with a large SUV like the Sequoia, she would have that comfort. She pulled the car up to the curb outside her father's apartment, glancing to the window to see if the lights were still on. She knew that picking the little girl up past midnight was not responsible, but she also refused to stay in her own apartment by herself.

She exited the car and climbed the steps to her father's apartment quickly, her hand rapping lightly on the door as she listened to the shuffling sound of her father's feet coming to the door.

"Tempe… it's late… you should have just let her stay." Max said softly as he shook his head.

"No… she will be fine, she won't even know she was moved." She replied as she stepped into the apartment. Temperance looked around for a moment. "Did you give her the gift?"

"I did…" He smiled happily. "She absolutely loved it…" He whispered.

"Mama?" The small voice whimpered from the doorway of the spare bedroom, Temperance turned to see her little girl standing against the door jamb, her favorite stuffed animal clutched in her arms, her blanket trailing behind her as she wrapped it around her shoulders.

"What are you doing awake?" Temperance asked as she walked to her daughter and lifted her up, letting her rest her head on her mother's shoulder.

"Why does it matter? You're taking her anyway… Tempe… stay the night… it's okay if you stay the night, you can both stay on the spare bed." Max insisted.

"I have to get up in the morning." She said curtly. "Lola is taking Antonia in the morning… she'll bring her by here for dinner, and I will pick her up after I leave the lab." She said, watching Max look at her with concern in her eyes. "I'm fine, Dad… they just… they have me working on a field case with the FBI."

"With the FBI? I thought you said…"

"I know what I said… and I meant it… but Cam needs me to do this. It's a… It's a tough case… a child… children… and I… I need to do this, Dad. I need to get past this, Cam is right. I need to stop hiding in the lab."

"You're sure you're going to be okay with it?" He asked as he watched her blue eyes carefully for any sign of betrayal of her words.

"I promise, Dad." She said confidently. "If I need help. I will ask for it." She said, leaning down to lift her daughter's bag from the couch. "She'll be here around six tomorrow…"

"I look forward to her return…" He said with a slight chuckle as he leaned forward and kissed his granddaughter's forehead. "See you tomorrow, sleepy head."

"See you, Oompa." She whispered as she buried her face into her mother's neck and held on tightly.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." Max said softly, kissing his daughter's cheek, he watched as she turned around and walked quietly from the apartment, leaving her father with a barrage of mixed feelings, and the knowledge that the next few days were going to be very hard on his daughter.


	5. Ground Rules

The moment those playful brown eyes popped open in the early morning haze of dawn, they became absolutely insistent, along with the little voice that went along with them. "Mama, Oompa wants to show you the star looker..."

"Telescope." Temperance corrected for the fifteenth time as she searched her daughter's dresser for clothes. "Where are all of your white socks?" She mumbled to herself as she moved the items around in her drawer. "You don't have one pair of matching white socks in this drawer!"

"Mama, please say you'll come to Oompa's house today... please? Promise... promise, Mama." She insisted as she flopped backwards onto her bed as Temperance continued her search.

"Where are your pink shorts, Antonia?"

"I dunno." She sighed, staring at the ceiling. "Mama... I want you to see the star looker."

"It's a telescope, Antonia. Tele... scope." She said slowly as she turned around, pink shorts in her hands as she waited for her daughter to lift her feet, she slipped them onto her ankles, and the little girl tipped forward and pulled them up her legs and onto her bottom as she sat up, her pigtails high on her head, her brown eyes glittering in the light.

She sighed, watching her mother pull her pink and yellow short sleeved shirt from the drawer and dropped it onto her daughter's head, pulling her head through it. She turned around to look for matching socks, leaving Antonia to wrestle with the shirt to get her arms through the holes. Temperance turned around to find her daughter struggling, her arm poking out of the head hole, her other arm struggling to come out of the wrong arm hole. "Oh, Antonia... you're starting to look like a Picasso painting." She laughed as she pulled on the shirt to help her arm become loose, and they both found their way to where they were supposed to go.

"I don't know what that means, Mama…" She mumbled as she straightened her shirt.

"Are you ready to go now?" Temperance asked, her hands full of loose socks as she watched the stubborn pout on her daughter's face appear.

"No." Ant replied as she watched her mother's eyes carefully. Temperance couldn't help but become lost in them for a moment, waiting for her daughter's stubbornness to subside. She wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination, and her stubbornness was not taught, it seemed to be an innate aspect of her personality, her eyes were burning into her mother's as she waited for her answer. She knew those stubborn eyes very well and there had never been a problem communicating silently with them. "Promise, mama." Ant sighed.

"Ant... I have a lot of..."

"Promise."

The tilt in the little girl's head gave Temperance a shiver as the eyes watched hers knowingly. "Fine..." She shrugged, giving in to the chocolate brown eyes that she loved so much. "Fine, Mama will go see the star looker tonight...I promise." She said, sighing in exasperation.

"Tele... scope." Ant said proudly, as she sat up and grabbed a purple and green striped sock, and an orange and blue sock from her mother's hand, she rolled off the bed onto her feet and ran from the room with a giggle.

------------

Temperance held her daughter's hand as they walked down the hallway toward the lab. She watched the doors open in front of her and smiled down at her little girl as she hopped along beside her, skipping to keep up with her mother's long strides. The lab was empty, it was early enough that no one had gotten there just yet, just like Temperance preferred. "Mama, when is Lola gonna be here?" She asked as they walked toward Temperance's office.

"She had to drop off her little girl at school… she'll be here soon… you can sit at your play desk until she gets here. Mommy is going to make some phone calls." She said, pointing to the small table located in the corner. Two small chairs sit beside it, colored paper and crayons were sitting neatly atop the table waiting for use as Ant smiled and released her mother's hand, moving toward the table quickly, she slipped her pink backpack onto the floor and sat down.

Temperance watched her daughter for a moment as the little girl carefully unzipped her tiny backpack and pulled out her favorite stuffed animal. The toy was a small, worn, and very loved gray elephant. When she was born, there were many gifts given to the little girl and her mother from fans of her writing, family members, and friends… but for some reason, the little girl had become very attached to that furry version of a pachyderm. Temperance couldn't even remember where she had gotten it from, but the little girl and her toy were absolutely inseparable. The little girl placed her fuzzy friend onto the chair beside her, leaning down to kiss his trunk as she smiled. She turned to find her mother watching her, and she waved her hand and smiled.

Temperance waved back, tilting her head as the little girl's attention went back to the table and her crayons, turning her head to say something to the little elephant, as she continued to color. Noting that her daughter was content in her usual spot, she turned and walked into her office. Just as she picked up the phone and dialed, she heard whistling coming from outside her office. She dialed the number and listened to the sound of feet hitting the floor, echoing in the empty and quiet lab. She was about to stand up when she noticed Agent Harding walking up to her door. She held out her finger to indicate that she'd be just a moment, and he nodded as he shifted away, allowing his whistling to stop.

Harding yawned sleepily as he glanced to the side of the doctor's office, and his eyes moved to the spot where the little girl was sitting at her table with her crayons. He walked over toward her and watched as she ignored her visitor.

"Antonia, right?" He said politely, gently. The little girl continued to color, ignoring the presence of the man. He crouched down and watched her color for several moments, noticing as her crayon moved faster and faster, the longer he stood there. "I don't want to bother you…" He said softly. "You look like you're coloring a very pretty picture." He said, not knowing exactly what to say, he glanced over toward Dr. Brennan's office. "I guess I'll leave you alone…I'm sorry for bugging you." He shrugged as he started to stand up.

"Wait." She said, her voice was soft and insistent. "Wait, please." She said as she scribbled two more lines and then looked up at the man. He raised his eyebrows and she gave him a half smile. "Sit." She said, reaching over, she pulled her toy from the other chair and patted the seat for him to sit down.

Agent Harding did as he was asked, sitting down once again on a child's chair, he almost felt foolish, but at the same time, he was humored with himself, and the little girl appeared to be happy with the situation. "What's your name?" She asked, her brown eyes seemingly looking right through him for a moment before she returned to her coloring.

"Christopher…" He said, watching as the little girl colored, her eyes on the paper in front of her. "And what about your friend there?" He asked, referring to the elephant that was now sitting on her lap, cuddled close by her other arm.

"His name is Deuce." She said softly and without pause. She looked to the man and noted his eyebrows raised, and then returned to her coloring.

"Deuce…" He nodded. "That's an interesting name… Where did… you come up with such an interesting name?" He asked, his voice just a bit too curious for her taste. She stared at the paper and stopped coloring, the only thing lifting to acknowledge Agent Harding, was the little girl's eyes. They glared at him over her paper as she let out a long sigh.

"That. Is. His. Name." She said, moving her paper away from him, tipping her head so she was no longer facing him, she continued to color.

"Hey… I wasn't trying to insult you or anything… I'm sorry…" He said sincerely as he watched the little girl stop coloring again. She turned her head so that she was looking at him. The look on her face was absolutely serious as she considered him for a moment.

"Deuce is my best friend." She said. "He told me that is his name…" She shrugged. "His name is Deuce."

"He's a very nice elephant." Agent Harding nodded, watching the little girl smile slowly. He then watched as her eyes lifted to look at something behind him, and her smile became wider.

Agent Harding turned his head to see that Temperance was standing above him. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she held quite an amused expression on her face, though it was obvious that she was trying very hard to hide it. "Oh… hey…" He chuckled as he stood up. "You're off the phone."

"It would appear so, Agent Harding." She said as she took a step back. "Did you get any juicy information from the toddler?" She nodded toward her daughter, who giggled and went back to coloring.

"I met Deuce…" He said, watching Temperance nod. "Seems like a nice… elephant… interesting name." he said, looking for any spark of recognition in the forensic anthropologists eyes, finding none, they began to walk toward Temperance's office.

"Children can be very imaginative. Do you have any children, Agent Harding?"

"Um… uh… no, no I don't… a buddy of mine has a kid… I haven't seen him in quite a long while though…"

"The child, or the… buddy?"

"Well, either… so…" He said as he tried to get moving on the case and shift the focus. "What do we have so far?" he said, nodding toward the office, they moved to walk through the doorway, Agent Harding letting her lead the way.

"Oh… Hey…Christopher..." Ant exclaimed suddenly as she stood up and ran toward her mother and the Agent. She looked up at him and grinned. "Knuckles!" She said, holding her fist up to the man who stared back at her for a split second.

"Huh?" He asked, more shocked than confused that this little girl was insisting that he rap knuckles with her.

"Knuckles… you gotta give me knuckles…" She said as she reached up and grabbed his hand, she watched in amusement as he let her take his hand, rapping her tiny knuckle onto his.

"Oh…" He swallowed. "Of course…" He smiled as he made a fist and bumped knuckles with the little girl. "Deuce too?"

"Of course." She said, lifting the little foot of the elephant to the agent, she smiled when he bumped knuckles with the stuffed elephant. She seemed very pleased that he was letting Deuce be a part of the game. "Bye…" She said as she ran back over to her table and continued to color.

The man stood for a second, staring after the little girl as if he couldn't believe what had just happened. "Agent Harding, are you alright? You look quite pale… are you sick?"

"Huh? What? No… no, I'm fine… I'm feeling fine, sorry… just… nothing." He shook his head and smiled politely to Temperance. "Let's get this case rolling." He said, moving along with Temperance toward her office, but not before glancing back at the little girl who was very intently coloring in her coloring book, chatting away with her pachyderm friend.

* * *

Temperance and Agent Harding had just stepped into her office, and Temperance approached her desk, suddenly turning on her heel. Her eyes were suddenly cold and set on his, her finger was extending in his direction as she seemingly transformed into a strict, frustrated and angry person who was obviously not thrilled to have him, or anyone else from the FBI as a partner.

She took a deep breath and stared into his eyes as if she were looking directly through him. Her finger pointed out toward him as she suddenly spoke with an abundance of authority directly at him. "You... and I, Agent Harding... are not partners..." She said coldly. "I want to make that abundantly clear right now. We're being forced to work together because of some... unwritten, unfair, contract that the Jeffersonian and the FBI have worked out without my permission. I don't like the FBI, and I don't like you... and I want to make that perfectly clear to you, do you understand?"

Agent Harding was taken aback by her sudden attack on him, and took a step back to avoid the finger that she was pointing at him, threatening to poke him in the chest. "I understand." He nodded.

"I have some ground rules... that will be obeyed under my own strict orders, and if these guidelines are not followed, I will refuse to work with you, do you understand?"

"I understand." He swallowed. He could see that the emotions she was displaying were not simply those of anger, but hurt as well, and as much as he wanted to just reassure her that he was on her side in the whole thing, he decided that it would just be better if he let her talk.

"First of all, I am the forensics expert on the case... at all times... never, ever is the FBI to get first... nibs... on a crime scene...."

"Dibs." He interrupted, knowing as soon as he said it, that it was a mistake.

"Second of all... you will never... correct me." She snapped, frustrated with the slight smile on the agent's face. "Do not flirt with me... do not smile at me, do not talk to me in any tone other than strictly professional... I don't need to be led from place to place... I am not helpless, I am not a dog." She exclaimed as she watched him nod his head. "I do not respond to psychology... so don't try to use it on me... There will be no nicknames, no middle of the night phone calls or showing up at my apartment with peace offerings. We can discuss the case via telephone call or in person, though not over a meal, or dessert, or anything that would signify that you and I are friends. Your place is your office, my place is the lab... you are not, under any circumstances allowed on the forensic platform at any time. If I wish to show you something... I will do so electronically. You will not hover, poke, prod... and use anything other than a gloved hand to touch remains... you will never... touch the remains. If... and when we go out into the field... you will let me drive... If you don't...then I will take my own car... I don't need your protection, your brawn, sensitivity or defense. I can take care of myself... and in the field, I will require a gun." She said as she nodded definitively.

She watched him stand before her, taking it all in very slowly. He stared into her eyes, dark and full of emotion as he watched her throwing walls up left and right as she stand before him. He then did something she absolutely did not expect, and she had no idea what to do in response. He lifted his hand, and placed it firmly on her shoulder, and with a playful smile that rose upon his lips, he bit his tongue slightly before speaking, as if he wasn't sure if his decision was a very smart one. "Doctor Brennan." He said, obviously breaking a couple of rules with his smile alone. "I will respectfully accept your obsessive compulsive, bipolar, borderline psychotic, overprotective, sado-mascohistic, quasi-uber territorial, hyper rational, super scientist ways." He said as his smile widened just a bit, he watched the look on her face as he moved his hand from her shoulder and shook his head. "But there is absolutely... no way... that you're getting a gun." He said with a chuckle, that made her eyes narrow and her jaw clench. "Sorry... No way..." He chuckled, waiting for the death blow.

Fortunately for Agent Harding, the anger lasted for only a moment as he watched her take a slow, deep breath, swallowing her pride most definitely right there in front of him as she turned sharply and walked toward her desk without saying another word.  
She sat in her chair and pulled herself tightly against the edge of the desk. She folded her hands and leaned slightly. "The FBI brought the evidence yesterday afternoon, and we've been taking a look at it. It appears that there are some items missing that were on the evidence list, though with the FBI handling it, I am not surprised. She paused, watching Agent Harding closely for a moment as he watched her and listened.

"What?" He asked, raising his eyebrows for a moment, a bit of a humored expression on his lips as he watched her tilt her head.

"I'm waiting for you to defend your beloved Federal Bureau of Investigation…"

"You find no defense of the Bureau here… It's a job… I got it so that I could catch murderers… not so that I could fulfill some kind of manly, trigger happy fantasy that I've had because I was bullied in grade school.

"You were bullied in grade school?" She asked, handing over the case file to the agent, she watched him lean forward, the smile on his face slowly disappeared as he spoke, opening the folder to reveal the pictures as he swallowed hard.

"No." He replied as he started to scan through the initial findings of the Jeffersonian team. "My mother was murdered when I was six. I find that catching and putting murderers away forever… is… quite cathartic." He said as he looked over the pristine notes that the doctor had left in the folder, her eyes softening for a moment before she nodded.

"Another rule…" She said as she tilted her head as if it were a challenge. "We don't talk about our personal lives." She whispered.

"It's a deal." He said, holding his hand out to the forensic anthropologist, his eyes warm and kind, and hers remained on his for a few moments, as she reached her hand out to the man she would be working with and grasped it tightly in her own, shaking it firmly as she smiled slightly and nodded.

* * *

The conversation with Doctor Brennan about the case had gone better than Agent Harding had expected. As he walked through the large doors of the lab toward the elevator, and on his way to the car, he began to think of the situation he was currently in. Doctor Brennan had been respectful and polite, and extremely professional. Her notes were perfect and flawless, and her knowledge was unending. He had heard many rumors about working with Doctor Brennan, and he had also heard about the many agents that came before Agent Booth's death, and the dozens that had attempted to work with her after. She had a temper and she was hard headed. They said she was cold and way too calculated.

Agent Harding had heard the rumors of the interrogations that had followed Agent Booth's death and the closed funeral ceremony after his death. Because the investigation was ongoing when he was buried, there was no public ceremony. There was no honor guard, no Taps, there was no gathering at the grave side. There was no military salute or naming of honors in his name. His name was added to the wall of fallen agents, and his body was buried in a very small ceremony with a simple priest and no more than perhaps five witnesses. Agent Booth was honored, and deep in his heart, and the hearts of those that loved him, to treat his death in such a way was unforgivable.

They had taken one of their own, who had died while on a mission unrelated to the one he was killed for, and in the eyes of his friends, they had spat on his grave. Agent Harding had heard that there were attempts made by Doctor Brennan to return his remains to Philadelphia, his hometown for a proper burial, but was blocked at every avenue of inquiry. What had been left of his remains after that fateful crash had been buried quickly, and the case was quickly dropped from the radar.

There had always been rumors shifting around the Bureau about Doctor Brennan and Booth's relationship. There had always been the infamous arguments of the two as they would walk the halls of the Hoover building, there were the interrogations that seldom failed on them, fieldwork that would sometimes leave their suspect stranded in the interrogation room for hours, and of course there was their record. Special Agent Seeley Booth and Doctor Temperance Brennan had one of the highest success rates of any team in the FBI. They worked well together, complimenting the talents they had separately, and enhancing the talents that they had together. They were a real team, with a team of scientists that were in the background for the most part, but never failed to make themselves an integral part of the case, and if the subtle, and obvious signals from that little girl were any indications, there were depths of their relationship that one could only imagine.

Until recently, Agent Harding had been living in Philadelphia. He had been a field agent in the Philadelphia FBI office, and hadn't had much opportunity to go out into the field. He had worked with Seeley Booth early on in his FBI career, and was a couple of years younger than the man that seemed like a legend in some circles, and the man had saved his life on more than one occasion, and now he walked into this building where somehow his partner of nearly four years had managed to keep a sort of ghostly spirit of the man alive.

He knew from the reports on Doctor Brennan that she would think he was ridiculous if she had ever implied that he could feel the presence of Booth in that lab. He knew from his visit with her the day before, and her visit with him this afternoon, that there was just something about Seeley Booth that never died, and she carried that in her eyes, in her words, her actions. A weaker man would be intimidated, Agent Harding was honored. He knew that her list of demands were just a safety mechanism for her. She wanted to be safe both physically and emotionally and if she had to put up walls to do this, she would. He understood it and he respected it, and he knew that he'd just have to wait her out.

The case was promising to be a difficult one. Two children's bodies were found in separate junkyards in the city. One was an 11 year old male, the other a 10 year old female. The process of identifying the remains was still in progress, as they were determining cause of death and skull reconstruction. Doctor Hodgins was working with insects and particulates to determine if they were killed in the junkyard, or if their bodies were dumped, when their bodies were dumped. The most important thing, both he and Doctor Brennan had agreed, was identification of the remains, and that was her area of expertise, his… was to head back to the Bureau and sit at his desk and find all missing persons in the area that matched the descriptions that she had given him. He smiled just slightly as he exited the Jeffersonian, moving swiftly toward his car in the open air parking lot he had decided to park in. He could see from a distance of several feet that there was something tucked into the windshield wiper of his standard issue black FBI SUV. He walked slowly toward the vehicle, laughing to himself about his paranoia.

He stepped up to the vehicle cautiously and reached his hand out for the object that was resting against the glass, pausing as he felt the round, plastic object fall from the confines of the object. He bent down and picked it up, he flipped it over in his hands and could feel his stomach drop, his pulse race as he looked around quickly. His thumb ran over to object, reading the clue loud and clear. "Queen of clubs… Ace of clubs… You've got to be kidding me!" He exclaimed as he grasped the object in his hand, turned for his door and opened it with the control. He climbed into the car and tossed the object onto the seat. He rested his head on the steering wheel for a second, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind as he sat up with a determined expression, he slid the key into the ignition, and quickly made his way back to his office.


	6. Lying,Tired,and Bears,Oh My

It had been an excruciatingly long evening for Brennan. Going over the details of the new case with Agent Harding turned out to be more difficult than she had expected. She had hoped to stay detached; to keep her focus on the scientific elements of the victims that were brought in and displayed on the exam tables in the lab. The written reports and the remains themselves were more graphic and gruesome than she was ready to admit to herself. She maintained a stoic expression. She talked about the facts. She tried with deliberate desperation to keep her emotions in check, and on the surface, she was sure that she succeeded. But deep down at the heart of the matter, she knew the truth: this case was going to push her over the edge. She would have to deal with that when it happened, she knew. But at the moment, all she wanted to do was to pick up her daughter, bring her home, and cherish every moment of their nightly routine. Like everything was normal. Like there were no bad guys out there in the world who made young children their victims.

The case was moving along as all of her cases had in the past. Through use of the tissue markers and the Angelator, it was a fairly quick identification on the bodies. 11 year old Kevin Stewart and 10 year old Celeste Adams. Two tiny children, who had possibly had a happy life, had met an untimely and brutal death. Temperance's mind couldn't help but drift to the faces on the 3D imagery, the gentle smile, the soft features of the little girl, the sly smile that Angela had placed on the little boy's face. Both children had been murdered in the same manner, weeks apart from one another. They had separate lives, went to separate schools across the city, no obvious connection. Temperance knew that there were other anomalies that would need to be checked, but now her goal was simple: Get home and get to sleep. She knew that morning was going to come much quicker than she anticipated, and with the announcement to two sets of parents that their children's bodies had been found, she knew that it was going to be a very, very long day.

She slowly made her way toward her father's apartment, knocking softly as she stopped in front of the door. A few moments longer, the door was still unanswered, so she sighed and turned the knob, stepping into the dimly lit foyer.

"Hello?" She called out into the quiet stillness. "Hello? Dad? Anybody home?" She asked, knowing that she hadn't been mistaken when she spotted her father's car in the parking lot downstairs. She placed her keys down on the nearby table and entered the kitchen, her eyes landing on a pot of macaroni and cheese that sat on the stove. She reached out and placed her hand over the pot, noting that it was still warm, and then she picked up the spoon in the middle of the stove and helped herself to a bite.

A giggle floated softly into the quiet space, and Brennan placed the spoon down and exited the kitchen, following the giggles and the soft voices coming from somewhere beyond the living room. She paused when she crossed the room, her eyes darting around in search of her daughter. The curtain on the far right window moved with the wind, exposing the opened window. She tiptoed along the tile, careful that her shoes didn't make any sound as she listened to the voices grow louder as she approached the window.

"What's that one, Oompa?" Antonia asked her grandpa from where they stood on the fire escape balcony, a shiny new telescope before them, it's lens pointing into the night sky. She was standing on a small stool placed next to Max, his arm securing her in place.

"Well, let's see...," Max replied, peering into the telescope for a moment. "Oh, that's Ursa Minor," Max replied, letting Antonia look through the lens again.

"Like Ursala in the Little Mermaid, Oompa?" Antonia asked as she gazed through the telescope, her voice was so full of joy, it made Temperance's chest a little tighter as she listened to their innocent conversation.

"No," Max replied with a light chuckle, "Ursa Minor is another name for the Little Dipper, although the Latin name for it is 'little bear'."

"Little Bear?" Antonia asked with a bubbly giggle.

"That's right," Max replied. "Did you know, that the little bear was your mommy's favorite constellation to look at when she was little?"

"Mommy liked to look at stars?" She asked curiously, her eyes abandoning the lens so that she could look up at her grandfather.

Max nodded. "I bought your mommy a brand new telescope for her fifth birthday. On the really clear nights, she and I would go out into the backyard and look at the constellations in the sky, just like we're doing now. Do you remember the story about Goldilocks and the Three Bears?" He asked her softly.

"Yes," she answered.

"Well, you're mom used to say that the little dipper was the baby bear, and the big dipper was the daddy bear... always there to protect his little one in the night sky. Sort of like how I protected your mom when she was little, too."

Antonia remained silent as she peered through the telescope lens again, her eyes finding the little dipper as it twinkled against the background of the black night. Max watched her intently, wondering what she was thinking as she held her features in a thoughtful expression.

"Oompa?" She said, her eyes darting back up to look into his. "Why don't I have a daddy to protect me?"

"Well...," Max begin, fumbling for the right words to say. "You have me to protect you. And your mommy."

"And Uncle Bugs and Big A?" Antonia offered quietly.

"Yes," Max agreed.

"But, where is my daddy?" Antonia asked curiously. "Is he in heaven?"

"Heaven?"

Nodding, Antonia stood with her unwavering eyes never leaving her grandfather's. "Deuce says that heaven is a place for angels. Where someone goes when they get sick. He says that's where the people that mama helps find go. So, if my daddy's not here, maybe he's there with the angels." She said, her tone was not questioning, it was almost definitive, and Max found himself nearly speechless.

"Maybe he is," Max replied, not knowing what else to say.

"Dad," Temperance spoke from the opened window. He could tell already that her voice was agitated. "You shouldn't tell her things like that." Max looked up and locked eyes with his daughter, noting the concerned expression on her face.

"Mommy!" Antonia cried out, grinning as she ran toward her mother and wrapped her arms around her.

"What did I say?" Max ask with a tilt to his head. "She's just a child, Tempe."

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't fill her head with things like that," she replied sternly. She looked down at Antonia, who was looking between the two of them with a confused expression. "Go and gather your things so we can go home, Antonia. Mommy needs to talk to Oompa alone for a minute."

Antonia watched her mother and grandfather for another moment before she shrugged and climbed through the window, her little feet tapped along the tile as she ran towards her room that Max had set up just for her. Temperance faced her father again, straightening her spine as if ready for battle. She was full of confrontations today. First with Agent Harding, and now with her father.

"Tempe, why are you so angry with me, huh?" Max asked her. "You seem on edge a lot lately."

"I don't want you, or anyone else talking to Antonia about heaven," she said to him. "Or her... father."

"Listen, Tempe... she brought it up. What was I supposed to say?" He asked helplessly. "She said Deuce told her."

"Dad, Deuce is a stuffed animal. He can't speak."

"Exactly, Tempe. Which means it's her imagination. Kids make up stories all the time," he reminded her. "If you pretend with her every once and a while, instead of always arguing reality, she'll grow up knowing how to use her imagination. That's not a bad thing. You were a kid once too, don't you remember?"

"I remember being a child, yes. I also remember that there were certain things that my parents didn't tell me in order to protect me. Who her father is..." She paused. "Who her father was... is not something that I want to discuss with her right now. She's too young to understand!"

"She understands a lot more than you give her credit for, Temperance! She wanted a story about her father, Tempe. She wants to feel safe."

"She is safe! With me!"

"You can't keep the truth from her forever. Don't you want her to grow up knowing about him? Don't you want her to have a piece of him to hold onto? She needs that, Tempe. She doesn't know who he is, but she's already smart enough to know she needs something," Max tried to reason with her.

"I grew up without a father for most of my life, and I turned out just fine," Temperance replied, as her eyes became red-rimmed and tears gathered, threatening to fall.

"Tempe..."

She shook her head, stopping him from speaking any further. "This conversation is over, dad. I am her mother, and this is how I choose to handle this. Please respect that."

Without another word, Temperance turned and climbed through the window and into the living room. Antonia was sitting in her chair at the dining room table, with her overnight bag on her shoulder, waiting for her mother.

"Ready to go?" Temperance asked softly as she held out her hand to her daughter.

"She can stay the night if she'd like," Max suggested as he entered the room.

Antonia's eyes lit up as she looked up at her mother in a silent plea. "Not tonight," Temperance shook her head. "But, soon. I promise. Give Oompa a kiss goodnight."

"Night, Oompa," Antonia said solemnly, her bottom lip poking out a little as Max bent down to give her a hug.

"Pick that lip up off the floor, Miss Grumpy" Max teased her, tickling her side a little and eliciting a giggle from her. "You can stay soon, ok?"

"Ok," Antonia nodded. She gave Max a kiss on the cheek and turned back to her mother, grasping her hand as they walked to the door.

"Goodnight," Temperance called over her shoulder. Max nodded silently and watched them retreat before slowly shutting the door behind him.

Temperance unlocked the doors to the SUV and helped Antonia climb into her booster seat. "How come I can't stay the night with Oompa?" she asked as her mother buckled her in. "Is it because you had a fight?"

"No," Temperance replied. She leaned over and gave Antonia a kiss on her forehead and then shut the door. When she got behind the wheel, she glanced back in the rear view mirror and locked eyes with her daughter.

"Why were you yelling at Oompa? Did he do something bad?"

Temperance sighed. How was she supposed to explain adult things to a child? When she was pregnant with Antonia, she always envisioned telling her the truth about whatever her daughter had questions about. But now, she was finding it very hard to stay true to the promises she had made for herself. Parenthood was turning out a lot more difficult than she imagined it would be.

"Oompa didn't do anything bad," she finally said. "Sometimes people do things that you may not agree with. But, that doesn't necessarily make them a bad person," she explained, not even sure if Antonia was following her. "I just didn't want you to stay at Oompa's tonight because..." she paused. Visions of the remains of her current case came flooding to the forefront of her mind. She couldn't tell her baby girl that she just wanted her home, right where she could see her so that she knew for sure she was safe from the monsters of the world. But she could tell her a half truth. "I wanted you all to myself," she said, tears brimming in her eyes again as she glanced at her daughter's reflection.

"Because I'm your baby girl," Antonia said, smiling back at her in the mirror.

"That's exactly right," Temperance replied, her voice cracking with emotion. She trained her eyes on the road before her, wondering if this helpless feeling would ever ease up.

* * *

With his granddaughter and daughter's exit, Max began to carefully pack up the telescope from the balcony. He stood out on the fire escape, pulling the tube of the telescope from its base as he placed it in the protective case. He paused for a moment, a possible sound in his apartment catching his attention as he listened, the sound stopped and Max shook his head at his paranoia, chuckling to himself quietly.

He climbed into the apartment from the window, carefully pulling the telescope in its case and the tripod in through the open window. He immediately noticed movement in the reflection of his window, though he made no indication that he had noticed, whistling to himself as he carefully closed the window and the curtains. He walked through his apartment and placed the case into the closet by the door, checking the locks, he ensured that it was latched. He then walked through his apartment toward his bedroom, noticing that the closet in the hallway was open just slightly, he approached it slowly, his senses suddenly heightened as he heard the sound of something drop to the floor. Just as he heard whatever it was hit the floor, he moved swiftly toward the closet and kicked it open, sending the door flying against the wall, slamming against it, and without looking or caring, he dodged an arm that moved across his field of vision and Max grabbed hold if it tightly.

He heard the pain filled shout from the trespasser, perhaps denying any wrong doing, but Max didn't care, the guy would be lucky to not be killed for breaking into his apartment. The older man swung the trespasser around and flung him down the hallway, running at him with all of his strength, he grabbed hold of a glass vase that was on one of the shelves and swung it toward the other man, smashing it against the wall.

"Jesus Max! Watch it!" The man exclaimed, noticing that the older man hadn't heard him call his name as Max grabbed hold of his arm and swung him around. He pulled him hard and without a care or fear, swung the younger man over his shoulder and slammed him down into the coffee table. The table legs split off and the surface crunched under the weight of the man, sending wood and the objects from the coffee table flinging throughout the room as the trespasser came to rest on the remains of the broken furniture, his eyes closed and a grimace across his face, and as soon as Max realized who he had just assaulted, his jaw dropped in shock, and his eyes widened. "Booth?" He managed to grunt as he caught his breath from the altercation.

"Damn it, Oompa… you are one mean sonofabitch!" The man exclaimed as he held his head and groaned, tipping his head back, his brown eyes opening to look directly into the eyes of Max. The older man stared at the younger man beneath him, his eyes filled with concern, perhaps a bit of fear, guilt, and then as quickly as those emotions washed over his face, it was replaced with a look of complete and utter rage. Suddenly, and without a second of warning, Max's fist came swinging across Booth's face, sending another dart of sharp pain through his skull that was only short lived, because the next thing Booth saw was darkness.


	7. Sanctuary

The first thing that Booth could feel was cold, something very, very cold was resting on his face. Dizziness, he could feel dizziness, and pain, a lot of pain. His back was no longer lying on top of a splintered coffee table, the memory, however was very clear in his mind, and in his back as he groaned slightly as he lie, as he could imagine, on Max's couch. His one eye, the one with the cold sensation was swollen. He could feel that pain shooting through his skull as he reached his hand up and touched the ice pack that was on his head. His other eye opened slowly to reveal Max, sitting in a chair across from him, glaring angrily.

"Did you really have to punch me?" He grunted, his voice innocent enough, his eye focusing on the man across from him. "I think you broke my eye socket." He mumbled. Max remained silent, sitting across from him brooding angrily. His jaw was clenching, and his eyes were filled with an unbelievable anger. "Max?"

"Give me… one… good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." Max growled finally, his head shaking slowly as he stared across at him. His fists were clenched, his jaw set and his eyes were filled with anger and unshed tears. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't… kill you and bury your body where no one will find you?"

"Come on Max… you're no good at finding places to bury bodies…" Booth said, trying his hardest to distance himself from the anger that the man across from him was hurling in his direction.

"I think I know at least one person who will help me bury yours!" Max exclaimed. "Why shouldn't I kill you, Booth? Give me one good reason… because right now, I'm just biding my time before I do something I may regret… I just need one good reason not… to kill you."

"Bones." He said softly.

"You left her! She thinks you're dead! She thinks you're dead, Booth! Why aren't you dead? Why are you sneaking around in my living room four years later? Why are you here? What do you want? You left my baby alone! Alone to raise your…"

"I didn't know she was going to do that, Max!" He exclaimed, trying to sit up, the dizziness taking over, he fell back onto the couch and groaned. "I didn't know… that she was going to do that…I… we had a discussion once…. It was a long… time ago… and I donated because… because she wanted a child then, she wanted to have a child, and I wanted her to be happy. I still want her to be happy. I didn't even know that my… stuff… was even good after all of that time." He said watching Max shake his head, the ice pack on his face caused his head to hurt more.

"She loves you." Max stated simply.

"Loved." Booth corrected. "I'm dead, remember?" He mumbled.

"You're starting to sound like her." Max muttered. "She loves you, Booth, even after all of this time, she loves you."

"Max… there are a lot of things about me and Bones, that you just don't understand." He said sadly, his eyes showing the deep hurt within them that he was trying so hard to hide.

"Bones and I." He corrected, continuing to glare at the other man.

"Now who sounds like her?" Booth said, watching Max's glare become more intense. "Listen, Max… I'm not… trying to mess up her life… okay, I didn't just decide to come back and show myself because I was getting lonely… or because I think I am owed anything." He defended.

"You showed yourself because you got caught, Booth." He said, nodding at the ice pack on the man's eye as Booth tried once again to sit up.

"No." He said with an irritated sigh. "That's not it at all." He replied, tossing the ice pack onto the floor, he shook his head. "I knew you were going to find me." He said softly. "I knew… and I needed to talk to you, Max. It's important."

"What? You want me to tell her that you're alive? Why would I do that to my daughter? Why would I do that to her?"

"Max… if anyone understands the importance of a family… and doing everything in their power to protect that family … it's you." Booth said seriously, staring into the eyes of Max Keenan, showing nothing but the vulnerability of a man in love, and the fear of knowing that he was at the mercy of a man who had murdered over the protection of his family in the past, and had a look in his eye that was so full of anger, that Booth wouldn't be surprised if he was his next victim. "Max… please…listen to me."

"How are you going to tell her that you're alive, Booth? How are you going to do that to her?"

"I'm not." He replied, the pain in his voice was evident.

"What the hell do you mean you're not?" Max exclaimed, standing up, he stood beside the chair, trying his very best to hold back the anger. "Did you just come back to give me a message from beyond the grave or something? What is going on, Booth?"

"I… can't come back, Max. You're right… I can't do that to her, and I know that. I know Bones… I know what she sees this as… betrayal. I promised her that I would never betray her, and to come back after over four years… that would be betrayal."

"I don't understand why you're here, Booth."

"I came to you, because I need your help. I can't get… inside the Jeffersonian, and I am on the run from the FBI and US Marshals."

"On the run?"

"Yes." He sighed as he leaned his hands on his head for a moment. Max took a step back and sat down, watching the younger man before him. "I... that plane crash… Did the FBI tell you that it was deliberate?"

"They said it was an explosion… they said that it was someone who was out to kill you and they didn't give much more detail than that." Max explained.

"Yes." Booth nodded. "It was someone who was out to kill me, and at the time, the FBI didn't know who it was."

"We know all of this, Booth. We were the ones that had to go through the interrogations, through the anger and frustration of dealing with your Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was your people that wanted us to believe that you were dead. All of this because someone was looking to kill you… someone that they never found, and someone who they don't seem to care to find now." Max said angrily.

"I know who it is, Max."

"Your case went cold, Booth. You were dead."

"My case went cold, because everyone involved was either in protective custody and shipped off to God knows where, or there was no immediate threat. The case went cold because no one cared to find the guy. No one cared to find him, and no one cared that I had lost everything."

"And you're saying that now there's an immediate threat? Why not talk to the FBI?"

"Because they will arrest me, Max. They're not going to listen to me. I can't come back into the open."

"They had you play dead, Booth… again."

"Yes." Booth nodded. "But this time, it was different. The plane explosion was real. I was in a hospital for nearly a year. I've had skin grafts, painful surgeries, Max… on my legs and torso. I was in a coma for over a month… I broke both of my legs, my arm. I barely survived the explosion. My lungs were severely burned, and there was even a short time that they thought they were going to have to amputate my legs." He said, his body shivering slightly. "I was bedridden for almost a year… I had to learn how to walk again… It wasn't like I wanted to be away, Max. At that point, I would have rather have been dead." He said honestly. "When I came to, they informed me that they had determined that it was related to a case from when I first began at the FBI. The brother of some guy that I ended up killing when I was undercover… they couldn't prove that this guy was related to my supposed death, let alone find the guy. They put Rebecca and Parker in protective custody… I don't even know where they are, they put them into the program, and the file was closed."

"They took away your son?"

"I didn't even get to say goodbye." Booth said softly as he looked up at Max and stared into the man's eyes. His eyes were red rimmed and full of sadness.

"So the FBI is looking for you because you ran away from the program?"

"Yes. As soon as I could move, I did. I got out of there so fast. I came back for Bones, and I realized all of the time that had passed. She has a family, a life, Max. She has a little girl, and I can't do this to Bones, let alone that sweet little girl. I can't go back to her now, I shouldn't… It would break her heart if she knew that I have been alive this long."

"It would break her heart more if she knew you were sneaking around behind her back. You should just come clean, Booth. What are they going to do if they catch you?"

"If they catch me, they're going to arrest me… I'm not going to jail… I'm not a criminal. I need to protect my family, and if protecting my family means that I have to stay dead, then I'll do it. If I can't have my family, then there is no point in doing anything but protect them. Bones can't know that I'm alive, Max. You can't tell her."

"So you're going to just follow her around? You're going to stalk my daughter and my granddaughter… are you asking for permission?"

"No." Booth said with a sigh. "I'm looking for some help."

"You need a place to stay? You can't stay here, Booth… she comes here for her daughter… she visits… she'll know that something is different."

"Come on, Max… you've kept secrets before. As I recall, you're very good at keeping secrets" He said, groaning slightly as he rubbed his eye slightly. "What time is it?" He asked as he looked toward the clock.

"Almost midnight."

"Shit… I'm late…" He said as he started to stand up, Max reached across and grabbed the other man's arm.

"Late for what?

"I'll be back… I just… there's something I promised someone I'd do." He replied. "I'll be back later tonight… we can talk tomorrow."

"Booth…" Max said, watching the confusion in the man's face, his eye turning purple, swelling. "You don't know where Parker and Rebecca were relocated to?" He asked, watching the other man turn and pace toward him.

"They won't tell me. The files are sealed, and they were told I was dead also. I have been in DC since I was released from the hospital. I've been working on finding this guy… this brother of the guy I killed, and I think there is something big going down, and I'm not sure what. I need people on the inside. I thought I was safe from them… thought everyone was safe from this guy, but the problem is, somehow… he found out I was alive."

"Are you in contact with anyone at the Bureau?"

"Not exactly." Booth shook his head. "I have a really good friend that I am trying to contact. He's reliable and he knows the case front and back. I need to do my own investigating, but I am going to need him on the inside to keep Bones safe. Christopher Harding." He said, watching Max's eyes light up.

"She's working with him now, on a case. Booth, she hasn't worked in the field since that last case with you. I'm worried about her."

"Ace will take good care of her. He's a good man, honest. I've already attempted contact with him, I'm waiting for his answer." Booth replied. "Max… Bones is the only thing that kept me alive in that hospital, she needs to be safe. I need to keep Toni safe too. There is no telling what they'll do if they find out that Bones and I were close. Our track record spoke for itself, and if they know I'm alive, they're going to go after the only family that they know of."

"Wait." Max paused as he looked deeply into the younger man's eyes, watching a glint of something in his eyes, he paused. "Wait a minute… Toni? You… know Ant?" Booth paused and stared into Max's eyes and waited for a moment, the look of confusion was slowly replaced with a look of realization. "Oh my God…" Max whispered as he stared at the man sitting across from him. "I don't know why I didn't figure this out before." He whispered. "You're Deuce!"

The serious expression on Booth's face was slowly replaced by a sly, charming grin and a sparkle in his eyes that Max hadn't seen from this man in years, but had seen every day in his granddaughter's eyes.

"I know her very well." He nodded as he stood up and started for the window. "And... I'll be back in a little while, I have to make good on a promise." He said as he slipped onto the fire escape, and with the soft clanging of the metal staircase, he was gone just as mysteriously as he had appeared.


	8. Lullaby

**Chapter 8- Lullaby**

The wind was cool in his lungs despite the unseasonably warm weather. He was late for his nightly visit, a tradition that he had upheld with every chance that he could, and knew that the small window of time that he had to get there was preparing to slam down on his fingers. His breath was hard and fast as he turned the corner, his feet pounding into the sidewalk as he moved behind the building to the fire escape. He climbed up the metal apparatus quickly, hand over hand silently feeling his way up the fire escape. He could feel his muscles groaning, and the stabs and scratches from the coffee table sent sharp points of pain through his body as he moved up toward the apartment that he was so familiar with.

As soon as he reached the window, he swore under his breath as he saw the two small hands pressing against the glass. His visits were becoming more and more frequent, and with each visit, it was becoming more risky, and to have her waiting by the window was almost giving him away immediately.

He slowly pushed his fingers beneath the old panes, and quietly lifted it, watching her tiny fingers push beneath the opening window and help him pull it open.

"Toni…" Booth whispered as he watched the smile rise on the little girl lips.

"Deuce." She giggled in a whisper, turning to glance at her bedroom door, the darkness beneath the door ensuring that her mother was asleep. "I thought you weren't coming." She whispered.

"Of course… I told you I'd be here to say goodnight." He whispered. "What were you doing by the window though… we don't want anyone to know about our secret, do we?" He said as he lifted the little girl into his arms, kissing her cheek.

As soon as she was lifted, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm glad you're here, Deuce." She said softly. She kissed his cheek and moved away, looking at the shadow cast across his features in the dull light of the moon. She immediately noticed that his eye was swollen, nearly shut and the purple color of the bruise on his eye made her chew her lip as she looked at her friend. He heard her gasp, her jaw drop at the sight of his eye. "Deuce, your eye…" She whispered, holding her hand up, the cool touch of the little girl's hand to his face made him smile, feeling good against the warm skin of the bruise.

"Oh… I'll be okay…" He said, brushing it off so that the little girl wouldn't be concerned, the furrow in her brow was exactly like her mother's, the wide eyed expression and risen eyebrows also reminded him of her. "Your Oompa has a mean right hook." He said, wanting to wink though he found it painful and difficult.

"Oompa hit you?" She whispered, her jaw dropping again as she watched her best friend smile.

"Yes… but I deserved it…" He said softly as he walked slowly with her toward her bed.

"Wait." She said suddenly, putting her hand on Booth's chest, he stopped and raised his eyebrows at the little girl. "I thought you were invisible." She said with a raised eyebrow, the suspicious look in her eyes almost made him laugh.

"I am invisible."

"Then how did Oompa see you... how did he punch you?"

"Some people are only as visible as they want to be, baby girl." He replied. "Oompa saw me, because I wanted him to see me."

"I see you, because you want me to see you?"

"That's right." He smiled at the little girl, watching her eyes brighten at his reply. "I love you."

"I love you, Deuce." She said, wrapping her arms around Booth tightly, squeezing him, she dropped a kiss on his cheek with a tiny giggle.

"You're supposed to be in bed, aren't you?" He whispered, widening his eyes to make her laugh.

"I was waiting for you." She whispered, letting him pull back the blankets on the bed and lie her down slowly. He covered her body with the blanket and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Where's your buddy?" He asked softly.

"Over by the window." She pointed to her gray elephant, sitting at the window as if he were looking out. "We were both looking for you." She whispered.

"Well I'm here… I'm here for now." He said, leaning forward to kiss her forehead as he stood up and walked over to the little elephant. He lifted it up and walked to the little girl's bed, crouching beside it, he handed it over to her to her, tucking him beneath the blanket with her. "I heard that mama bones is working on a new case…" He said a tender smile as she shrugged her shoulders. "Ah… you don't know what that is…" He laughed.

"Mama had a man in her office… he sat in my chair…hmm… Christopher… that's his name.

"Christopher…" Booth nodded as he ran his fingers through the little girl's hair. "He's a good guy…" Booth smiled softly. "When I knew him… I used to call him Ace…"

"Ace?"

"Yep… that was his nickname… just like Deuce is my nickname."

"It's not your real name?" She asked, her eyes feeling heavy, yawning, she waited for her friend's answer.

"It's not my real name…" He said with a chuckle.

"What's your real name?" She whispered, tipping her head curiously as he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Oh… I can't tell you that just yet…" He said softly as he smiled, watching her eyes focus on his face for several minutes.

"Deuce?" She whispered, swallowing hard as she watched the sadness in her friend's eyes return. "Will you sing me my lullaby?" She whispered, watching a bit of happiness glide across his features.

"I can try…" he said, smoothing her hair back as he watched her for several moments. "First… though… we should say our prayers…"

"Yes." She smiled up at him, her eyes wide and happy, the smile on her lips reaching the corners of them. "Hm… Now I lay me down to sleep…" She paused, glancing to Booth as she watched him for help, his eyes smiled at her as he opened his mouth to help, and she gave him a crooked grin as she continued. "I pray dear Lord my soul to keep."

"May angels guard you through the night…" Booth said softly, his voice so tender as the little girl watched him carefully.

"And keep me safe till morning light."

"Amen." They said together, lost in the moment for several seconds until Antonia broke their stare with a yawn.

"God bless mommy, God bless Deuce…" She smiled at him as he shook his head with a knowing smile. "God bless Oompa, God bless Uncle Bugs, God bless Big A… and Auntie Cam. God bless Uncle Russ and Auntie Amy… God bless Haley and Emma… God bless…" She paused, glancing to Booth who shrugged as she smiled. "God bless Ace too… right?"

"Of course…" Booth nodded.

"God bless all the little children… and all the people of the world… and God bless… Deuce again." She said with a giggle.

"Why do I get two God blesses?" He asked with a curious smile.

"Because… um… you look sad." She said, averting her gaze, her fingertips running over the soft fur of her toy as she fidgeted with it. "What do you pray for, Deuce?" She whispered, her brown eyes flickering to his, his eyebrows raising in surprise of the question.

"What do I pray for?" He asked.

"Uh huh… is it like a birthday wish? You're not supposed to tell or your prayer won't come true?"

"No…no…" He said with a light chuckle, "It's not like a birthday wish… I guess no one has ever asked me…" He replied.

"I did." She said pointedly, the serious look on her face reminded him so much of her mother that he could feel the lump forming in his throat. She held his stare for a long time, waiting patiently for him to answer her question. "Deuce?" She insisted.

"Well… of course I pray for you." He whispered. "And… I pray for your mommy…"

"Do you love Mommy?"

"Of course I love your mommy… she's the smartest and most beautiful person I know."

"Who else do you pray for, Deuce?" She whispered, rolling onto her side, she watched him carefully as she nestled her head onto her stuffed elephant.

"I pray for…" He swallowed his answer, knowing he couldn't say his son's name out loud, not for fear that the little girl would repeat it, but more because if he said it, he would break down. "I pray for all of the people that I have lost…" He whispered, running his fingers through her hair, he watched her as her eyes flitted closed. "I pray for all of the things that I want… and I pray for everyone that I love to be safe." He replied softly.

"I pray for them too, Deuce." She mumbled to her friend as she opened her eye for a moment. "I am waiting for my lullaby…" She whispered, a giggle in her voice as she smiled a sly grin that matched Booth's.

"Demanding little thing, you are… another thing that you and Mama Bones have in common." He said as he tilted his head and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Can you do me a favor tomorrow?" He whispered as he watched the little girl nod her head sleepily. "Tell my friend… Ace… Christopher… tell him that you're my angel." He whispered. "Can you do that for me?" He whispered, watching the little girl nod her head. "Okay…" He whispered. "Your lullaby…" He whispered, before making himself comfortable beside the little girl's bed, he watched her close her eyes as he very softly began her favorite lullaby.

* * *

Temperance lie in her bed staring at the ceiling, the sounds of the nighttime echoed through her room peacefully as her mind stared at the glow of the moon across the white ceiling. She thought about how when she was a little girl she loved the stars, just like her father had said. She had loved the stars so much, that her father had taped little stars to the ceiling above her bed, just so she could see them as she drifted off to sleep.

These thoughts created a sudden emptiness in the pit of her stomach, almost like the loss of her father was real all over again. As a child she had been so full of hopes and dreams. She had a warm, inviting home to live in, and two wonderful parents who adored her. And then one day, they were gone, leaving her empty and alone. The years without her parents, and then finally, her brother, Russ, were painfully difficult. But, not only had she survived, she managed to improve her life by focusing on her studies, which ultimately led her to where she was today; a brilliant and successful forensic anthropologist, and a well-known author.

Would Antonia follow in her footsteps? She wondered. Would not having a father figure in her life affect her future? Antonia was brought into this world not knowing her father; not ever getting to see him, or hug him, or laugh with him the way Temperance had a chance to do with her father before he vanished from her life. She replayed the argument with her father over and over again in a continuous loop in her her father right? Should she tell Antonia about who her father was and what he meant to her when he was here? There were so many questions swirling around in her mind. She couldn't make sense of anything.

Sighing, she rolled to her side, staring now at the clock. The hour was late and she knew she'd be forced to get up very soon to go to work. She sighed, rolled onto her back and groaned a bit in discomfort, her eyes refusing to close. She sighed as she pushed the blankets from her body and pulled herself into a standing position. She stepped toward her door and for a moment, she listened and could swear she heard a man's voice, faint and soft, trying to be quiet. She looked toward the window and then toward the door, and made her way out of the room quickly. She walked down the long hallway toward her daughter's room and paused outside of it, listening for a moment to see if she was awake, or making sounds.

The room was silent, but she could never resist looking upon her sleeping child while she lie so peacefully in her bed. Temperance opened the door slowly, peering in at her sleeping daughter as she lie on her side, grasping her stuffed elephant tightly as she faced away from her mother. Temperance glanced toward the window, her brow furrowed when she noticed that it was open just a crack, the curtains blowing against the cool summer air, billowing slightly as Temperance approached it.

She reached her hands up and pushed down on the window pane, ensuring that it was closed tightly, she quickly latched the top latch, securing the window locked, she turned to gaze upon her daughter.

In the light of the moon, she noticed something glimmer slightly in the bed of her child. She stepped closer to the bed, crouching down toward the young girl who was sleeping so soundly. Her mother reached out, her fingers gently caressing the silver object in her hand, she stared at the medal for several moments, the chain was wrapped securely around her daughter's hand, and the silver medal was a pendant adorned with the engraving of St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost items, and three words that made Temperance's heart race.

"Pray for us."

---------------

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	9. Man Without a Country

**Chapter 9- Man Without a Country**

Temperance stood outside the bathroom door, knocking once again. "Antonia Elyse Brennan…" She said, trying the middle name for a change as she wiggled the doorknob.

"I'm almost done in here, Mama." Antonia called from within the bathroom, the sound of something plastic skittering across the floor made Temperance's eyebrows raise. "Almost… almost done…"

"Antonia… Lola is going to be here soon, and you haven't had your breakfast yet."

"I'm not hungry."

"Antonia."

"Mama." She replied with a huff, as the sound of the little girl's shoes could be heard slapping against the tile, the doorknob wiggled and she opened the door just enough so that she could see her mother.

"What are you doing in there?"

"Um… getting ready to go." She said, her eyes moving down her mother's tall figure, noting the foot rhythmically tapping on the floor. "Do you need to use the bathroom?" She asked, raising her eyebrows curiously, an innocent smile on her face that exactly replicated her father's.

"Antonia." Temperance said, putting her foot in the doorway just as her daughter attempted to close it on her again.

"Mama!" She exclaimed, pulling on the door to try to close it, only to have Temperance push it farther open, her jaw dropping as she noticed her makeup strewn about the bathroom sink, caps missing on lipstick, blush and eye shadow open, the brushes all sitting at the bottom of the sink.

"Antonia… what on…"

"I… I… I…" she stammered as she felt the tears come to her eyes, the waterworks that she was so good at creating may not save her this time.

"What is this?" She asked, pointing to the mess in the bathroom.

"I was gonna clean it up, I promise!"

"What were you doing?" She asked, noticing suddenly, the purple circle that had been colored around her stuffed animal's eye. "What did you do to Deuce?" She asked, reaching for the toy, her daughter moved quickly and hid it behind her back, taking a step toward the door.

"Oompa has a mean right hook." She said, swallowing hard as she watched her mother with tear filled eyes, the sniffles adding to the effect as she watched her mother start to clean up the mess that she had made.

"Oompa put make up on Deuce…?"

"No… No, Mama… Oompa punched him… see… see, he has a bruise on his eye." She exclaimed, wiping her tears on her arm as she showed her mother the 'damage' on her elephant's eye.

"Why would Oompa punch Deuce?" She asked her daughter, completely confused as to her logic in the situation, she watched as Antonia's face scrunched up in confusion.

"He deserved it, Mama." She said plainly, sniffling before she turned and walked back toward her room. Temperance watched her daughter disappear down the hallway and sighed, shaking her head as a hint of a smile rose on her face.

"He deserved it?" She muttered to herself, her hands moving quickly over the mess that Antonia had made, closing makeup containers and placing them back into the drawers and shelves they belonged on.

She was becoming slightly frustrated at the thought that the argument with her father was seemingly making its way into her daughter's thoughts and actions, and the pendant that she now had in her pocket was just a reminder of how her father was influencing her little girl. She had never told anyone the truth in her daughter's name, and for him to assume, even if he had assumed correctly, made her very upset. She took a slow, deep breath, controlling her frustration, knowing that dealing with her father would have to happen at some point during the day, she chose to focus on the mess her daughter had made.

She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled slightly, seeing that the hollow look that she sometimes held in her eyes was disappearing. She tried smiling, knowing that she was going to have a difficult day ahead of her and she started as she heard the doorbell ring, her brow furrowing as she stepped out of the bathroom.

"I got it!" Antonia exclaimed as she ran down the hallway.

"Antonia… wait for Mama, please!" Temperance exclaimed, happy for the knowledge that her daughter was still too short to reach the chain lock at the top of the door, she was just getting to the door when she swung it open, the door slamming against the chain.

"Ace!" Antonia exclaimed, a grin on her face as she jumped for the chain. She missed the surprised look on the man's face, and turned to her mother. "Mama, let him in! Let him in!"

"Agent Harding…" Temperance said curiously as she stood at the door, the chain still in place. He stood in the hallway, two cups of coffee and a small carton of orange juice on the tray in his hands.

"I thought I'd pick you up… or at least come by to see if you wanted to be picked up… we were going to go talk to the victim's families…" He said, tilting his head. "And I brought coffee."

"Mama, let him in!" Antonia exclaimed.

"You didn't have to bring coffee… And I was going to drive myself to FBI headquarters… I'm just waiting for my nanny."

"Mama! Mama!"

"Antonia… relax… please… we don't shout at the door… please go sit at the table…"

"But you need to let Ace in… you need to…" Antonia exclaimed.

"Ace? Where do you get these things? Please go sit at the table…" The little girl pouted and huffed, turning around, she walked over to the table and slid onto the chair. Temperance held her finger in the air for a moment, closed the door and pulled the chain off the lock. She opened the door again and faced Agent Harding without the door in the way. He was patient, polite, standing and waiting for an invitation or dismissal. He watched Temperance's eyes as they moved to the coffee.

"Two sugars, no cream… just the way you like it." He held up the coffee cups and grinned, immediately getting a suspicious look from the Doctor, her glare intimidating.

"How do you know that's how I have my coffee?"

"I've read up on you, Doctor Brennan." He grinned.

"I'm sure that my preference for condiments is not in my professional file, Agent Harding." She said, taking a step back. "Please come in…" she nodded toward the table, where a very anxious Antonia sit, her legs kicking as she grinned brightly at the agent. "Have a seat."

"Thank you." He said politely as he stepped into her apartment. He moved to remove his shoes and Temperance waved her hand.

"You're better off leaving them on… there's no telling what type of plastic toy you could find nestled in this carpet. I try to keep it clean in here, but Antonia seems to have a knack for moving along right behind me dropping toys as I pick them up."

"I don't drop them, Mama… I play with them…" She paused. "Then... I drop them." She grinned as she leaned forward onto her stuffed toy, her hands nestled on Deuce as she stared bright eyed at the agent.

"She seems smitten with you, Agent Harding. It appears that you have already acquired a nickname."

"I didn't give him that nickname, Mama." Antonia insisted. "Deuce said it was his nickname."

Agent Harding smiled at the little girl as he sat down at the table, he was only slightly shocked at her knowledge of his nickname, her insistence on using it. He was also very happy to see that Temperance was looking slightly more rested, her eyes seemed a little brighter, her interaction with the little girl seemed to lift her spirits.

"He did, did he?" Agent Harding said with a smile. "What else did Deuce tell you?" He asked, playing along, he smiled at Temperance and handed her the cup of coffee for her, watching her nod in thanks, he turned his attention to the little girl.

"He said to tell you that I'm his little angel." She smiled shyly, her eyes flashing to her mother as she grinned, turning the elephant around, the purple ring around his eye surprised the agent as he raised his eyebrows.

"Woah… it looks like Deuce got into a fight…!" He said playfully as the little girl giggled.

"Yeah… Oompa popped him one."

"No way!" Agent Harding exclaimed, pretending to be surprised as the little girl giggled.

"Yep…"

"Yes, it appears that Deuce was involved in an altercation with my father… the reasons of which I'm still trying to ascertain…" Temperance said as she raised her eyebrows at her daughter, who grabbed the elephant off the table and snuggled him close.

"I brought you an orange juice…" Agent Harding said as he glanced to Temperance. "Is that alright?"

"It's fine…" She nodded, watching the agent as he smiled across at the little girl, her hands cupping as she waited for him to slide it to her. He slid it lightly and she snatched it up off the table, trying to open it quickly.

"Let me get you a straw…" Temperance said as she stood up and took the orange juice from the little girl, she walked toward the kitchen.

"Hey…" Agent Harding said in a whisper, glancing toward the kitchen as he gave Antonia a playfully curious look. "How did you really know my nickname?"

"Deuce… really told me." She said in a whisper, looking up to see if her mother was returning.

"Can you give something to Deuce for me?"

"Yes." She tilted her head.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small round plastic object that he had found under his windshield wiper. He flipped it around in his fingers for a moment and looked her in the eyes. "Tell him… that I got the message." He said, the little girl reached for the poker chip and grabbed it quickly, just as Temperance walked into the room.

"Here's your straw…" She said, placing the straw into the container of orange juice, she handed it to her daughter, noting the guilty look on the agent's face, while Antonia looked up at her with a completely innocent glance. "What are you two up to?"

"Nothing." Antonia said, nearly revealing her guilt just by saying that one word.

"Oh, I was just telling her how I figured out what you liked in your coffee." He said as he grinned, sitting back in his chair, he winked at the little girl who giggled at the agent.

"And how is that?" She asked, looking between the two of them as she pulled a napkin from the napkin holder and handed it to her daughter, before sitting down, pulling the coffee to her lips as she lifted her eyebrow at the man.

"I called Angela." He said, cringing just a little as he watched Temperance's eyebrows rise. He was still unsure of exactly what she thought of him, and with his breath held slightly, he waited, and when she smiled and let out a laugh, he laughed as well, sending the tension in the room down several notches as they relaxed and talked while waiting for Lola to arrive.

* * *

Booth paced back and forth across the hardwood floor, his eyes staring at the panels beneath his feet as he tried to figure out his next move. It was morning and he had hardly slept at all. The warm bed was not enough to entice him to sleep, the anxiety in his soul was keeping his eyes open, and his energy up as he paced. He was so close to Temperance in this bedroom, so close, yet so unbelievably far away from her. There was a knock on the bedroom door, his eyes flashing up to see the knob turning, and Max's head popped in. He resisted the urge to hide, holding his breath as he saw Max open the door wider. "Hey." Max said as Booth's eyes lifted to his. Max noticed that the limp in his walk was obvious, and he had lost a considerable amount of weight since the last time he had seen him. His face was only a little older, though his eyes were showing the sorrow of a lost man. "Are you hungry?"

"For real food?" Booth asked, squinting slightly as the pain in his eye stung. "You really didn't have to punch me." He mumbled.

"For someone who got his ass kicked in a plane crash, you're acting more childish than Antonia."

Booth stared at him for a moment, thinking about replying, Max watched him carefully as he stared at him, sensing no anger or frustration he just paused for a moment before replying. "Thank you." He said softly to the older man, watching Max smile just a little.

"For punching you in the head? Did you want another one?" He teased.

"No." Booth said, swallowing hard. "Thanks for not killing me."

"Dead or alive, you're the man that my little girl loves." He paused. "If anyone is going to get to kill you, it's going to be her."

"Max, you promised that you wouldn't tell her."

"I won't tell her, Booth. I won't… but she will find out. You know that you can't keep a secret around a kid for too long."

"Toni is an excellent secret keeper… besides, she thinks I'm invisible to other people… she also doesn't know my real name." Booth replied as he lifted his t-shirt from the bed. "Do you have a washing machine or anything? I don't have a lot of stuff… but I need to go get it from where I was staying… and it'll need to be washed."

"We can get you new things, Booth. That's not an issue." Max replied. "Where have you been staying?" Max asked as he shook his head at the confused look in the younger man's eyes.

"How did you do it when you were on the run, Max?" Booth said in an almost accusing tone. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, opening them to look Max in the eyes. "It's kind of a long story… but I have some friends in some…places in the city. People that didn't know my past, didn't know who I was. They took me in… I have been researching my case from there. I was running out of resources, so that's why I'm here." He paused, watching Max listen intently to his story. "I had saved enough money with the stipend that the government had given me to be able to get back here, and basically... that was all the money that I had. I'm sure the FBI hasn't stopped looking for me, but I don't have cell phone, don't have identification, cards, bank account. There's no way for me to be tracked. When the FBI said I was dead, they took everything of mine with them."

"You fell off the grid."

"Absolutely and completely." Booth replied.

"A man without a country."

"Exactly." He paused, watching the sympathy in the older man's eyes, he felt the need to explain himself again. "Bones and Toni are the only things that matter to me, Max. I need to protect them. I need them to be safe, and I'm scared. I'm scared that they're going to get in the middle of something that is bigger than them, and not even know it." He whispered. "They are my country... they are my world."

"Your daughter thinks you're invisible?" Max asked, surprised by that admission by the younger man.

"Hey." He shook his head. "It's better than having her think that I'm dead."

"I think her mother would also feel that way about all of this." Max said with a sigh as he turned for the door. "I'm making breakfast, if you want some, come on out into the real world for a bit." Max replied, turning, he walked out of the room.


	10. Traces of You

**Chapter 10- Traces of You**

Temperance sat in the driver's seat, her back straight and both hands on the wheel as she drove Agent Harding toward their first victim's home. The car was silent, and Temperance was fine with that, though she did notice that her passenger appeared to be a bit nervous. She glanced to him again, his eyes affixed out the window, his fingers were rubbing together slightly as she drove.

"Does my driving make you nervous, Agent Harding?" She asked bluntly, watching his dark eyes flash to hers, a friendly smile on his lips as he shook his head.

"Nope. You're an excellent driver." He nodded, averting his gaze as he glanced out the window again.

"I can't help but notice that you have a heightened anxiety level. Your palms are sweaty, your jaw is clenching. I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?" She asked, honestly wondering if she was the reason behind the Agent's nervousness. She had an ability to appear cold and intimidating, and from her track record recently with Federal Agents, she wouldn't be surprised if Harding started looking for a new assignment already.

"No… no, absolutely not!" Harding said with a friendly smile. "No… you're fine, Doctor Brennan. I'm just… trying to get myself ready for this."

"For telling the parents of a child that she was brutally murdered?" She asked, trying to understand the squeamishness of the agent. "I assume being with the FBI, you've done this sort of thing before. It's not easy, but it does have to be done, and I understand your concern." She replied, watching his eyes on hers for a moment. He was surprised at her bluntness, the almost cold sound in her voice, though he could sense that the words she was speaking were through a filter. She almost looked like she wanted to say more.

"I have never had to do this before." He admitted, turning his head to look at the doctor, he watched as surprise slid over her features, her mouth opening slightly as she glanced to the road and back at him, she seemed genuinely surprised.

"I had assumed you had been with the FBI for a while, Agent Harding, I had no idea that you had no experience speaking with suspects and…."

"I've talked with suspects… been involved in the investigations and interrogations. Most of my work has been undercover work, and I have only recently moved to D.C. I came from the Philly field office." His voice trailed off. "I would have thought that a brilliant Doc such as yourself with the resources you have, that you've already looked up my record." He said with a slight smile that sent her eyes back to the windshield, her hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter.

"It was classified." She replied as she felt the eyes of the agent on her. She wasn't sure if he was laughing at her, or surprised, or just sitting watching her for a moment. "So you have no experience with victim's families. That's alright… we'll work through it together."

"Like partners?" He asked, watching her hands grip the steering wheel tighter. He was testing her, and he knew it, but he needed to make sure she could handle this case before he brought her into that house.

"Similar to partners, more like… your contracted liaison or… colleague…" She cleared her throat. "Don't test me, Agent Harding." She warned, looking toward him, she watched the corner of his lips curl up slightly, and she couldn't help but shake her head, and allow herself to relax just a little bit, a faux irritated look.

"Sorry, Doc." He said in an almost whisper, this time not even attempting to hide the smile on his face.

* * *

A slender brunette opened the door, her worried eyes scanning the faces of Agent Harding and Dr. Brennan. Her shoulders slumped as she took in their solemn expressions. "This is about Celeste, isn't it?" She asked, her voice cracking as reality began to sink in.

"Mrs. Adams, I am Agent Harding with the FBI, and this is my partner-"

"Colleague," Temperance corrected him, her eyes glancing at him for a beat before she turned her attention back to Mrs. Adams.

"My colleague," Agent Harding said with a tight lipped smile, "Dr. Temperance Brennan, from the Jeffersonian Institute. We have some news about your daughter."

"Please, come in," Mrs. Adams offered, opening the door wider and ushering them into the living room.

"There's no easy way to say this, Mrs. Adams," Agent Harding began as they sat down across from Mrs. Adams and her husband. He pursed his lips together, trying to find the gentle words to say to them.

"There were some remains discovered near a junkyard," Temperance interjected, ignoring the alarming look that the FBI agent was now giving her, "and we were able to positively identify them as those of your daughter, Celeste Adams."

"Oh, God," Mrs. Adams cried out, burying her head against her husband's shoulder.

"Are you sure it was her?" Mr. Adams questioned, eyes red-rimmed as he rubbed his hands against his wife's back, wordlessly consoling her.

"We were able to compare dental records for a positive match," Temperance told them matter-of-factly.

"Mr. Adams," Agent Harding cut in, "you reported your daughter missing about a week ago. Can you give me any details? Any information leading up to the day your daughter disappeared that may help us in our investigation?"

Mr. Adams shook his head, "I don't... I can't think of anything specific. She left for school that morning just like any other day... upbeat, ready for school. Celeste loved school. She was a very bright, gifted student."

"Did Celeste have any siblings, friends? Anyone should would have hung out with after school?" Agent Harding asked.

"As far as friends go... she had only small group of friends that she kept in touch with from school," Mr. Adams stated.

"Celeste was our only daughter," Mrs. Adams spoke softly, lifting her head from her husband's shoulder. "We... tried to get pregnant for so many years, but... we finally tried in-vitro. After two tries, it worked. Celeste was our miracle baby."

Agent Harding nodding his understanding, his heart breaking for the grieving couple sitting across from him. He turned to Temperance to see if she had any more questions, but the faraway look on her face puzzled him.

"Dr. Brennan...?" He asked, placing his hand on her arm. "Do you have any more questions? Dr. Brennan?"

* * *

_"I'm pregnant, Booth." The words sounded so foreign as she whispered them aloud. "I know we talked about this before... when you were here. When you were... alive." Temperance swallowed hard, the lump in her throat tightening as she lowered herself to the ground and sat Indian-style in front of the gray tombstone etched with the name of her former partner. She took a deep breath as her eyes traveled along the grooves that formed his name and the dates of his birth, and then sadly, his death._

_"I wasn't going to... I had decided I wouldn't...," she paused._

_Words that usually came so easy to her seemed suddenly difficult, but she continued, even though she viewed this kind of thing--this talking to tombstones thing--as ridiculous and unnecessary. "I wasn't going to use your sperm," she said softly, "I thought it would be wrong to use it, now that you're gone. But, I... I had a dream just shortly after you died of this... vibrant little girl with these warm, chocolate brown eyes just like yours. And it felt so real, as if she were already mine. And normally I don't believe in dreams and their meanings, but for a few days after the dream… I don't know," she sighed, "I just couldn't let it go."_

_She plucked a few blades of grass from the earth, holding the vibrant greenery between her fingers as she averted her eyes from the tombstone and stared off into the distance. In just a few weeks it would be October, and the luscious green that surrounded her now would slowly fade to brown, just like everything seemed to be fading away as of late... except for the tiny form of life that was now nestled safely within her womb._

_"The process wasn't bad. There was some slight discomfort, but overall everything went fine. Statistically speaking, I'd say that it was highly successful," Temperance spoke, fighting to control the tears that were forming in her eyes. "I don't even know why I feel like crying. I suppose it's just the hormones," she reasoned aloud. "Anyway, I just... I thought you should know... although, you can't really hear me. But, I made a promise to you. So, I'm here. Talking to you. And you should know... you're going to be a father."_

* * *

"Dr. Brennan?" Agent Harding spoke loudly in her ear, pulling her from her daydream.

Temperance shook her head slightly, clearing her mind. She could feel the moisture on her cheeks and the heat of embarrassment as she lifted her hand to swipe at her tears. Mr. and Mrs. Adams sat across from her, staring at her with concern.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I don't know what-"

"It's alright," Mrs. Adams nodded with understanding. "As hard as it is for us to hear the news about our daughter, I'm sure it's just as difficult for you to tell us."

"Right," Temperance agreed, glancing quickly at Agent Harding. She took a deep breath and collected herself. "There are more tests that we need to run... but I assure you that we will go to great lengths to find out what happened to your daughter. I'll inform you as soon as her remains are... ready to be buried."

"Thank you," Mr. Adams replied.

Agent Harding placed his hand onto Temperance's elbow, helping her from the couch as they made their way to the front door. "If you think of anything else...," he told Celeste's parents, "anything at all... please don't hesitate to contact us." He handed Mr. Adams his business card and then led Temperance to the car.

She paused for a moment as they walked toward the vehicle. "Doc?" He said, pushing her attention in his direction, her blue eyes snapped with his, the expression of pain not lost on the man as he watched her rubbing her thumb over the key to the car as if she were thinking about something. He thought about asking her to drive, but he didn't dare ask. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts as she suddenly straightened up and cleared her throat.

"We have another family to see." She said, trying to be strong as she approached the car and grabbed the handle. She glanced over at Agent Harding as she pulled the door open. "And don't call me 'Doc'." She said, climbing into the car, she didn't notice the smile that rose on his face, before letting it fall from his face as he climbed into the car and allowed Temperance to drive to the next home. He didn't dare utter a single word as they drove away.

* * *

Temperance sat at the brightly lit kitchen table in the home of Walter and Janet Stewart. Agent Harding sat to her left, and the Stewarts sat across from them. Just like Patricia Adams, Janet Stewart was crying freely, her tears wetting her husband's shirt as he held her close. The sorrow that filled the room was unfathomable, and Temperance found she was unable to speak.

"Kevin was supposed to be getting off the bus at three o'clock," Janet Stewart spoke through her tears. "I had a doctor's appointment that day, and wasn't going to be home until four. We usually don't let Kevin stay alone, but it was only going to be for thirty minutes. He was very mature for eleven. I thought he'd be okay for such a short period of time."

"How does Kevin get home from school?" Agent Harding inquired.

"He rides the bus," Walter Stewart answered.

Agent Harding nodded, "And did he get off the bus that day?"

Janet Stewart shook her head, "No. He was to use the spare key that we keep hidden under the mat by the backdoor. When I got home, there was no one here, and the key was still under the mat in the exact spot it had been placed."

"So, he never made it home at all?"

"Not that we're aware of," Walter replied. "Usually, when Kevin got home... he would drop his school bag by the door and head straight to the kitchen for a snack."

"We told the police all of this... when we reported him missing," Janet stated, sniffling and wiping her tears away. "Are you sure.... that it's him?" She asked, hoping that maybe it was someone else.

"We're positive, Mrs. Stewart," Agent Harding said as gently and as respectfully as he could. "I'm so sorry, but Kevin is gone."

Temperance felt as though she was watching the scene play out in front of her as though she were somewhere else entirely. At the choice of Agent Harding's words, her chest tightened and her breathing became erratic. And emptiness filled her, and her mind was transported to another place; another time of sorrow and loss...

* * *

_"Bren?"_

_A soft, yet shaky voice pulled her from the screaming silence that had filled the room. Temperance looked up to see Angela standing just inside the door, a solemn, sympathetic expression on her face. She stepped forward, her black ballet flats lightly padding against the tiled floor, until she was standing right beside the table where Temperance sat motionless. Angela sank down into the chair and took Temperance's hands in hers._

_"Sweetie? Can you hear me?"_

_Temperance's blue, teary eyes rose to meet Angela's deep brown, nearly black eyes. It frightened her to look into them and see the confirmation mixed with sorrow. The truth, though necessary, is sometimes unbearably painful._

_"Just say it," Temperance whispered, her eyes red-rimmed. Tears collected, pooling at the corners before cascading soundlessly down her alabaster cheeks._

_"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Angela replied hoarsely, her own tears now flowing without abandon. "There were no survivors on the plane." She paused, as if what she said next wasn't really coming. Temperance knew it was coming, and she wished she had time to prepare, to feel, to know what it would feel like. There was no time to prepare, before she could take another breath, the words that her friend said so painfully softly had reached her ears. "Booth is gone."_

* * *

"I'm so sorry," Temperance suddenly said, her voice ringing loudly throughout the room. She stood abruptly, ignoring the stares of Agent Harding and the Stewarts, who were all looking at her as though she were crazy. "I have to... I have to go...," she stopped talking and turned, moving as fast as she could through the house and out the front door to the car. She rifled through her purse for her keys, the tightness in her chest unbearably strong, she stumbled down the steps in the sidewalk, nearly falling over as she rushed toward the car, not wishing to hear, feel, smell, or touch anything. She needed silence, and solitude, she needed to get back to the lab. She nearly slammed into the SUV at the bottom of the slight incline, grabbing at the passenger side door, she climbed in without thinking, tipping her head back, she could feel the hot tears rolling down her face as she fought to keep her breathing steady.

An almost sob was released without her permission as she attempted to catch her breath, biting her lip to keep any more from escaping, she felt the pain of the reality, and when the driver side door of the SUV opened, she knew that she had to recover quicker.

"Doctor Brennan… are you okay?" Agent Harding asked, his hand reaching for hers, trying to see if she needed assistance, she allowed him to take her hand for a moment, slipping the keys of the car into his hand.

"Drive." She said, a hitch in her voice as she glared at him, her embarrassment quickly turning to anger as she tried desperately not to admit defeat. "Just… drive." She said again. "Please, drive." She whispered.

"Alright." He nodded, putting the key into the ignition, he started the car up and began to drive. "Where to?" He asked, his voice slightly uplifting as Temperance's blue eyes reached his once more, her panic attack nearly under control, her breathing was slower and more even. He tried to drive and look at her at the same time, the concern in his eyes was overwhelming enough for her to almost mistake it for sympathy.

"The lab." She said simply, biting her lower lip, she cursed herself for her weakness, saying nothing, she turned her eyes away from the Agent's watchful glances and awaited their arrival at the lab.


	11. Grave Mistakes

**GRAVE MISTAKES  
**

Temperance and Harding arrived at the lab in silence, she had very carefully tucked her feelings of weakness and fear beneath a cool blanket of quiet thoughtfulness, and as Harding pulled into the parking garage, Temperance thought it important to speak up at that point. "I'm not a weak person, Agent Harding." She said with a cool, even tone, her eyes focusing on the side of his face as he nodded and pulled into the parking spot labeled with Doctor Brennan's name.

"I understand." He replied, knowing that the best thing he could do in this situation was just accept her behavior. He was still new to the city, new to the process of the D.C. office's protocol and procedures, and he also knew that Doctor Brennan was vulnerable. He knew that she wasn't weak, but he also knew that if he acknowledged that fact out loud, she would see it as him speaking her words, and not his own. It was just best to state that her behavior was understood. He assumed that the answer was enough for her, because she said nothing else as she climbed from the vehicle.

Harding pulled the keys from the ignition and climbed out as well, walking around the car, he handed Temperance her car keys. She nodded and slipped them into her bag, increasing her pace slightly as they approached the elevators. They didn't speak as they took the elevators up to the lab, and as they walked through the doors, Temperance was about four steps in front of Harding, not looking back for a second, she headed directly for her office.

"Doctor Brennan…" Cam said, watching the forensic anthropologist breeze past her with a cold, determined look on her face, she disappeared into her office. "Agent Harding." Cam nodded as Harding gave her a polite smile, he slowed, glanced toward Temperance's office, and came to a stop beside Cam. "How is the investigation going?"

"It's going well… I mean, we talked to the parents of the two children and…"

"I actually meant Doctor Brennan. How is she holding up?" Cam asked, a friendly tone in her voice, though she appeared to be concerned for the doctor.

"She's doing well." He nodded, as Temperance stepped out of her office, now in a lab coat, she walked past the two of them without saying a word and climbed the platform with a swipe of her card. "She thought it best to get back to the lab before the afternoon." He said with a polite nod, as there was a sudden commotion on the platform.

"Doctor Saroyan?" Temperance said with a cold look about her face, almost angry, as soon as Cam looked up at her, she continued. "Who arranged the remains?" She asked, waiting for the answer.

"Your intern… Campbell…"

"Tyler Campbell?" Temperance asked, noting the nod from Cam, her jaw set and her eyes narrowed.

"Is there a problem, Doctor Brennan?" Cam asked curiously as she watched the doctor's eyes shift slightly in thought, before snapping back to hers.

"The humerus on the girl's remains… Celeste Adams… it's not hers."

"What do you mean it's not hers?"

"I mean, that bone, doesn't go with her body." Temperance said as she looked into Cam's eyes.

"You're sure?" Cam asked, knowing she didn't have to ask that question, but the surprise had truly gotten to her.

"I'm positive." Temperance replied.

"That means we have a third body." Harding whispered, if only to himself, Temperance's eyes met up with his.

"Agent Harding… you should have the FBI looking in…"

"Junkyards through the city." He nodded.

"Also, missing child reports… between two weeks and a month… between eight and ten years old." Brennan said as Harding nodded, walking quickly toward the door. Just as he reached the door he sighed in realization, he turned around and noted that Brennan was on the platform still, but she had focused back on the bodies.

"Agent Harding… you look a little lost." Angela said with a smile as she walked in right behind Harding as he stood staring at the platform.

"Uh…" he said softly. "Yeah… I kind of left my car at Doctor Brennan's house… she brought me here, and…"

"You need a ride to go get your car?" Angela asked, laughing slightly as she nodded in understanding at her friend's thoughtlessness when it came to the FBI agent's transportation.

"Would you mind?" he asked, glancing to the platform and to Angela again.

"No problem…" She laughed as she nodded toward the door and followed Harding out of the lab into the hallway. "You wouldn't be the first agent that Brennan has left stranded at the Jeffersonian." She laughed, walking out toward Angela's car, they laughed.

--------------

Temperance stood over the bodies for several minutes, looking over the discrepancies in the humerus, pulling it from the skeletal of the child that it had been improperly placed within, she stepped to the side and set it on its own table alone.

She stared at the pristine bone lying by itself on the lighted table, the small arm bone belonging to yet another victim. She could feel her stomach clenching as she stared at it as she took a slow, deep breath, trying to calm herself as she thought of the fact that it once belonged to a child, a small, innocent child who had hopes, dreams, and a future and was suddenly, just another piece of a puzzle that she had to put together.

Temperance could feel the tightness in her throat, the way her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth as she tried to remain calm, rational about the situation. The truth was, however… that there was nothing rational about killing anyone, least of all a child. She was conflicted with her feelings, her heart heavy as she tried to find some way to keep her feelings at bay. She took another slow, deep breath as she clenched her jaw.

"I… will… be right back." She whispered as she turned from the table and walked toward the steps.

"Where are you going, Doctor Brennan? Agent Harding just left to get the missing persons report, I thought you were going to analyze the…" Cam said as she watched the forensic anthropologist climb down the steps, turning around as she looked up at her.

"I have… to take a walk. I need some air. When Harding gets that information, call me on my cell. I just… I have to go talk to someone." She said as she turned toward her office, pulling her lab coat off as she disappeared around the corner and out of sight.

----------------

Harding sat quietly in Angela's car, his thoughts were on the passing scenery, and he could feel Angela's eyes on him now and then as she drove. "Sweetie… you can't take it personally."

"What?" He asked, turning his head toward Angela, his eyebrows raised in question. "Take what personally?"

"Brennan, and the way she treats people."

"I'm not taking anything personally. Doctor Brennan has been professional and cordial, helpful in every way." He nodded.

"Except for the fact that she left you stranded at the Jeffersonian." Angela replied with a knowing smile.

"One, minor infraction." He replied. "But…" He said, pointing toward her as he nodded. "I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. She's under a lot of stress, she hasn't been in the field in a while… and since then… well, she has more responsibilities."

"How very sensitive of you." Angela said in a tone that was nearly dripping with sarcasm. She noted that the man was almost smiling as he stared out the window, and seemed genuinly happy for the most part. "What's your deal, anyway?" She asked, their eyes locking for a second before she focused her attention back on the road. "Usually Brennan makes a scathing comment that sends most agents running in the first hour of being near her."

He chuckled slightly at her reply, and shook his head. "So you're her best friend, huh?"

Angela laughed. "Yeah." She nodded. "You didn't answer my question. What's your deal? Where did you come from, and are there more like you?"

Harding let out a full laugh, and a smile that reached his eyes as he shook his head. "I'm from Philly… maybe I am like this just because I don't know what else I'm supposed to do, other than catch the murderer… and maybe it has to do with working with people who know a hell of a lot more about it than I do. Everything happens for a reason…"

"So you're saying that Brennan forcing you to leave your car at her place has some sort of purpose in the cosmic sense of the world… some kind of divine calling that will lead you to the killer of those children?" Angela said in a laughing, nearly sarcastic tone as she pulled up behind the SUV on the street in front of Brennan's apartment.

"You never know." He shrugged, a charming smile on his lips as he gripped the files in his hands and reached for the door handle. "What is one person's irrational thinking… is another person's holy grail." He said as he climbed from the car. "Thanks again for the ride."

"It is no problem, Agent Harding. I look forward to seeing you later." She said, smiling as he waved and closed the door, taking a step back, she pulled from the curb and drove off, leaving Harding in the street beside his car. He approached it and reached into his pocket for his keys, looking up, he immediately noticed the colorful object on his windshield, tucked neatly beneath the wiper.

"Deuce, I swear to God." He shook his head as he reached for the object and lifted it up. Crafted neatly of two playing cards was a shark shaped oragami. He held up the crafted piece of art, noting the numbers and suits of the cards. "Nine… five, of spades…" He whispered to himself, trying to figure out the clue as he held the paper animal in his hand. "Shark… nine… five…" He mumbled to himself. "Spades… dirt… grave… " He whispered. Finally, the message was clear to him. The first clue had been an origami dog… the poker chip in its mouth represented Booth. Dog… fetch. Someone wanted him to fetch Booth's file and find out what the shark was about… Shark… and it finally dawned on him. September fifth.

_September 5, 2002- Just outside Philadelphia, PA_

_Booth sat at the table across from the other agent, both dressed in t-shirts and jeans, he could feel the damp coolness of the fall air seeping through the walls of the back room of the bar. There was the stench of stale beer and cigars hanging in the air. He had been the kid's partner for less than a month when they had been sent on this assignment, and he was incredibly green, naïve, and almost nervous. He had one thing going for him, though on this assignment, he was one hell of a poker player. In preparation for the assignment, he had nicknamed the kid 'Ace', he was young and cocky and had a lot of life experience, even if he didn't know his limits. Booth had taken him under his wing, showed him the ropes, and had even acquired his nickname from his younger friend. In the preparation of this case, he and Ace had become close, learning from one another and developing a rapport similar to that of brothers. Booth glared across at the kid one more time, wishing he could wipe the smarmy look off his face._

_"I fold." Booth said as he tossed his cards onto the table, glaring at the kid as he grinned brightly at him. Booth had hit his lowest point years earlier, and was a recovering gambler, but as soon as this opportunity arose for him to pose as a poker player for the undercover sweep, an attempt to catch one of the biggest gangsters in Philadelphia, he took it._

_Armando "Shark" Gomez._

_The game continued for several minutes, and Booth found his mind wandering slightly, the conversation was becoming a bit shorter and angrier, the banter was not simply banter anymore, and before he could even react, Shark had his hand around Ace's neck and was pushing him off his chair, sending him flying backwards into the wall. Booth reacted as well as he could, pulling his gun and attacking his partner's assailant._

_The melee was uncontrollable and angry, and there were fists flying and head butting. Chairs and cards, chips were everywhere, and when the fighting was through, one man lay dead of a gunshot._

_Booth stood over the dead gangster, his gun trained on the other members who were threatening to attack. Ace lie nearly unconscious, though alive behind him. Suddenly, backup came slamming through the doors with guns blazing, rounding up and shipping out the remainder of the gangsters in the room, as Booth stumbled backwards, tired and wiped from the altercation, he landed beside his partner._

_"Thanks, Deuce." Ace muttered to his partner as he held up his knuckles to the slightly older man, he laughed. "But I could have taken care of that myself…" He said as Booth rapped his knuckles._

_"Yeah, right… he almost snapped you like a twig." Booth laughed, as they waited for the EMTs to arrive, relieved that they had survived the assignment._

-------------

Harding held the delicate animal in his hand as he shook his head, swallowing hard, he prayed that the clues weren't a trick. Though in his mind, all he could hear was Antonia's voice, confirming that Deuce was indeed alive. With a quick move toward the driver's seat, and the intent of retrieving his former partner's file, along with the research that was required by Doctor Brennan, Harding hit the siren on his car and slammed his foot on the gas, making his way toward the cemetery. He hoped that the trip wouldn't be in vain, and that the visit to this murderer's grave would lead him in the right direction. And though Doctor Brennan's orders for the missing persons reports were still in his mind, he knew in his heart that capturing the murderer of the man she loved was probably also on her list of priorities.


	12. An Understanding

**Update #12- An Understanding**

The afternoon heat was oppressive, even by D.C. standards. With his suit jacket discarded across the front passenger seat, Agent Harding pulled at his tie, loosening it before turning off the engine to his standard issued FBI SUV. He climbed out of the vehicle, rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt to his elbows. His dark sunglasses blocked out the glare of the sun, making it easier for his eyes to roam over the rows of headstones that stretched out for miles.

Gravel crunched under the weight of his feet as he walked down the narrow path between tombstones, his eyes searching. He didn't remember the exact spot, but he was sure he was in the right area. It had been years since he'd been in this cemetery, watching from a distance as the funeral of a madman was in progress. He had been hidden then, safe within the shadows of the large oak trees that boarded the edges of the final resting places of so many lives. If it hadn't been for Special Agent Seeley Booth, it would have been his own body being laid to rest that day.

He guessed that was what was making this mission, this hunt for the next clue, so important to him. He owed it to Booth to figure out what these clues meant. If he could uncover the truth about what happened to him, Harding would finally get the chance to repay him for saving his life. It was worth it, for everyone involved. Quickening his pace, he turned down the next row of headstones, his intuition kicking into overdrive.

He saw it before his brain could process what he was looking at; the four, eight and seven of diamonds, connected and manipulated like a serpent, two white dice with black dots as eyes. Snake eyes.

Agent Harding crouched down in front of the headstone where the serpent lay in the grass. He shook his head, more out of disbelief than anything else. Grooved deep into the stone was carved 'Armando "Shark" Gomez', with the date of his death... September 5th. Harding pulled the small shark out of his pocket... the nine and five of spades. He glanced down at the serpent again as certain things began to slowly click into place. He was beginning to understand 'who'. Now he just needed to figure out the 'how' and the 'why'.

He pocketed the shark and then picked up the serpent, feeling the shape of the object in his fingertips before releasing it. With the weight of the meaning behind the objects on his mind, he slowly made his way back to the vehicle. He pulled them from his pocket and placed them onto his discarded jacket on the front seat, he started the engine. Letting the cold air from the a/c cool him down as it hit his face, he glanced up, squinting at the sight before him. His eyes had landed on a familiar figure in the distance, climbing from a familiar black SUV, her gait was strong and her steps sure, despite the sadness evident on her face, even from this distance. He stopped, waited, and after a moment almost felt like a voyeur as he watched Temperance come to a stop and then sit down before a headstone, her knees tucked below her body as she reached out for the stone before her with her hand. He didn't have to guess whose grave she was visiting, he knew. His eyes traveled to the seat beside him, where the two origami figures sit resting on his jacket, and right in that moment, his heart ached to tell her everything he knew he couldn't. With his mind now racing with unanswered questions, he exited the cemetery with one destination in mind. He needed Booth's file right away.

____________----------------_____________

Tires squealed against the asphalt as Harding turned into the parking lot at FBI Headquarters. He barely had the SUV in park before he turned the engine off, grabbed everything on the front seat, he raced inside the building.

"Slow down, champ," one of the agents said as he passed him. "Where's the fire?"

Harding ignored him as he jogged toward his office. He placed his suit jacket on his chair and then opened the bottom right drawer of his desk, discarding the two paper figures safely in the drawer. He exited his office and made his way down the hallway toward the file room, slipping into the empty room as quietly as he could. He went diligently through three filing cabinets before he found Booth's file, thick with bureaucratic bullshit, he was sure. He grabbed two other random files out of the cabinet and sandwiched Booth's file in between. And then he left the room and headed back to his office as quietly as he had come.

He closed his office door for privacy and took a seat as his desk, opening Booth's case file.

For twenty solid minutes he read through the file, immersed in the details of the crash, the case, and with the black lines over some of the testimonies, he could see the cover up. The file itself was filled with the brim with paperwork, photos were graphic and telling, testimony was given by other agents, coworkers, and all of the workers that were close to him at the Jeffersonian. There were four letters alone by Doctor Brennan insisting that his remains be returned to his family instead of being interred at a plot in the cemetery. However, she was not family, she had no say in the situation. There were requests for information by Doctor Brennan, letters indicating that she was entitled to full disclosure of all details of the case because she had been Booth's medical proxy, and was executer of his will. All of these papers had been denied on the basis that a dead man needed no medical proxy, and as for being executer of the will, that's all she was entitled to, his earthly possessions, not the details of what had taken them from those possessions, absolutely no indication that Booth had survived the plan crash.

He sifted through the details of the case, the messy handwriting of the agents in charge, and the unfinished and uncaring hand that was used in completing the forms. He was just lifting Booth's death certificate from the file, when there was a knock at his door, making him jump nearly out of his skin at the interruption.

"Uh… hang on a second." He said nervously as he opened the bottom drawer and started gathering the papers, realizing that he had really scattered them out across his desk. The person at the door knocked again. "I'll be right there." He said, shoving another paper into the drawer, he stood up and walked quickly across his office, stealing a glance back to his desk to ensure he hadn't left anything out in the open. He opened the door and was surprised to see the person that was on the other side. "Doctor Brennan." He said, a look of complete and utter shock in his eyes.

She scrunched her nose in confusion as she scrutinized his appearance, his jacket had been tossed off, his face was pale, and he looked incredibly surprised to see her standing at his office. "Agent Harding?" She said softly. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?" She said, pushing past him without asking for entry, she walked into the office and looked around. The office was a small, square room, a small window on the side wall with typical blinds that were in most offices. There were several commendations on the wall, one or two newspaper articles framed and on the wall. No art or pictures of himself or family, the desk was pristine and clean, no files, no papers or folders, no knick knacks on his desk, only a computer and a small tray for incoming files. "This is a very boring workspace, Agent Harding." She spoke as she looked around, turning to see the agent walk away from the door and toward his desk.

"Well, like I said… I just got here… a lot of my stuff is still in transition, you know… and I was tossed into this assignment right away, so I haven't really had time to unpack my things… decorate my office or whatnot." He said as he walked quickly around his desk, noting as she continued to look around the room.

"I came to get the missing person's reports." She said, her eyes moving to finally meet with his.

"Oh… Crap!" He exclaimed as he lifted his hand to smack his forehead. "I… I got wrapped up in something else, I forgot to get a lead on those…" He said as he looked around on his desk.

"Agent Harding." She said sternly as she walked up to his desk. "Are you under the influence of drugs or alcohol?" She asked him, her face showing absolutely no signs of joking.

"Um…" He paused, considering her question for a moment. "No." He said assuredly. "And what would make you think that?" He asked, watching her shift slightly and cross her arms over her chest.

"Well… your hair looks like a bird defecated in it, and you just rubbed it in with a comb. Your suit jacket is two sizes too large for your frame. You talk to my three year old as if she's a mental equal. When she suggests you converse with hers stuffed animals, you oblige. You show up unannounced, you have disobeyed nearly every rule that I've put in front of you, and you have mustard on your tie from whatever you ate for lunch." She said, pointing at the tiny yellow spot on his tie that was barely visible to the naked eye. "Also… I asked you nearly two hours ago to get a missing persons report and you look like you've been sleeping the afternoon away at your desk. If I were you, Agent Harding… I'd get your act together unless you would like me recommending to your boss that he stand in front of you while you urinate into a cup for him." She said as she turned and walked for the door, she swung it open, walked through the doorway, and made sure to slam it as she disappeared into the hallway and out of sight.

Harding took a moment to realize what had happened, and after a moment, he glanced to the desk drawer, where he had shoved the files. He ran quickly to the door and swung it open, walking briskly after Temperance. He called out to one of the other agents what he was looking for in the missing person's reports and told him to get them to the Jeffersonian within the hour. He turned the corner and watched Temperance walk into the elevator, her eyes were filled with irritation as she saw the agent coming toward her. "Doctor Brennan… hang on a second!" He called, knowing that he had let her down, he was feeling incredibly guilty. She slammed her hand down on the door close button, and he ran faster, slamming his arm between the doors just as they were about to close, sending the doors open again, he watched Temperance's eyes roll.

"Agent Harding. I have to pick up my daughter. I don't have time for this." She said as he pushed his way into the elevator. They were the only two in there, and he pushed the door close button. The door closed slowly, and Agent Harding waited until it started to move to the next floor before he hit the emergency stop button. Temperance turned quickly toward him, nearly approaching him. "Agent Harding, I don't find this amusing."

"Listen, Doc." He said waving his arms in front of his body as he tried to get her to listen. "Just… listen, okay?"

"What?" She glared, the sound of the ringing bell on the alarm was beginning to grate on her nerves as well.

"So you're not an easy person to work with, I get it, okay? You have issues and drama just like everyone else in this building, okay? You don't have to take it out on me. I'm getting your reports, and I'm doing my best here, so stop with the rules, the insults, the complete and utter lack of faith in me. I'm FBI, yeah… and you hate FBI… I get that. I understand that, and I respect that. What they did to Booth was bullshit." He said, watching the pain wash over her face as if he had slapped her, quickly hiding it beneath her cold exterior.

"I think we're done here, Agent Harding." She said as she tried to reach around him.

"No." He said, grabbing her arm, he waited for it, the punch, kick, stabbing pain, jab to the gut and a sharp punch to the jaw to send him backwards. "Listen." He whispered, when he tried to get her attention. "I'm sorry… just listen." He said, watching her hand pull away slowly, she claimed it back. "I apologize… for not getting those reports to you, Doctor Brennan." He said, pushing the button for the parking garage, he felt it rock back into service, the incessant ringing stopping. "I'm sorry that it looks like I haven't done anything. I will try to do better… and not because you threatened me, either… but because I respect you." He said, still noticing that she was avoiding eye contact. "I respect your daughter too… Doctor Brennan… she's a smart little girl, so don't underestimate her by comparing her intelligence to an idiot like me. The reports are on their way to the Jeffersonian… and again, I'm sorry." He said, just as the elevators opened, she looked up into his eyes, seeing the sincerity in their dark brown depths.

She suddenly turned, walking out of the elevator, letting her hand raise in a wave as she left him standing alone within it. "Don't let it happen again, Ace." She said, continuing to walk, refusing to turn around before she made it to her car.


	13. All I Have

**Update #13- All I Have.**

Max put the phone in its cradle with more force than necessary, grumbling under his breath as he stalked through the kitchen. After a moment, he heard the sound of the window opening in the living room, he paused beside the sink. He thought for a moment to call out Booth's name, but thought it better if he check or wait before saying anything.

"Hey, Max... I brought my things." Booth said, walking into the kitchen.

"I don't think you should stay here." Max said simply, his voice was low and concerned, his head shaking as he watched the confusion appear in Booth's eyes.

"What?" Booth asked, gripping his bag tightly in his hands, he felt better than he had in weeks, with a warm meal in his stomach and a shower under his belt, he had planned to stay out of sight in the spare bedroom while he worked covertly on the case. "Why not?"

"Because of Tempe." Max replied, his jaw was set and he shook his head as he explained. "She has a hard enough time trusting people... and you go and pull crap like leaving catholic... paraphernalia lying around my granddaughter's room? For someone who doesn't want to get caught, you're playing a pretty risky game, Booth."

"Wait... wait... wait... catholic paraphernalia? The pendant? You're calling that paraphernalia? It's Saint Anthony, Max. Saint Anthony... patron saint of lost items. Bones obviously named our daughter after Saint Anthony."

"Antonia is her daughter, Booth. You're her invisible friend. Besides, there is nothing to prove that she named Antonia after Saint Anthony. Tempe isn't like that, but when she finds objects in her daughter's room that she didn't give her... I'm sure she gets a little pissed. She doesn't trust me as much as she should, and when she calls here and accuses me of teaching her things that she wouldn't approve of… that makes me pissed." Max replied.

"So, what does that have to do with me staying here? So I won't leave Toni any more gifts... I need a place to stay, Max. I need this."

"What if she finds out, Booth? What if she finds out that I'm harboring a fugitive… a fugitive that is supposed to be dead to her?"

"Then I'll know exactly how you felt when she figured out that you weren't dead." He said, a challenging look in his eyes as Max tried to hide the smile that was appearing on his lips.

"What you're saying, is that you and I have a lot more in common than I give you credit for."

"You give me absolutely no credit." Booth replied, pausing for a moment. "I'll earn it… I can promise you that… and for the record, she's my daughter… she prays for me, she loves me… and I do wish I could be more than just invisible to her." He whispered, watching Max nod.

"I know." Max replied, nodding toward Booth's bag. "Let's see what you have on this case… maybe I can help you out."

Booth's look of concern changed suddenly, as his smile began to make its way across his features, his eyes smiling as well. "You're letting me stay?" He asked, as Max shrugged.

"I can't kick you out on the street, Booth." He sighed as both men sat down on the couch. "You're a good father…"

"So are you, Max." Booth said with a grateful smile, as he pulled the papers from his bag out, spreading them across the new coffee table that Max had replaced earlier in the day.

* * *

"And what else did you and Lola do today?" Temperance asked as she leaned across the table slightly, her daughter's eyes looking directly into her mother's, a stare that Temperance swore could see the depths of her soul in.

"Oh, we colored." She said with a shrug, picking at the French fries on her plate, she popped one in her mouth and munched on it, her focus lost on the other patrons of the diner. She and her mother had been coming there since she was born. The Royal Diner was like a family tradition, and Temperance thought it was an important part of who she was, and who she wanted to remain, so she had made it a frequent stop during the week, whether it be with Antonia or Angela, or Hodgins, or Cam. She loved the distraction that it created for her, though sometimes she couldn't help but watch the waitress when she delivered a warm slice of pie to a patron, her eyes following it with a silly look on her face, until something would bring her out of it. "Mama!" Antonia exclaimed, slapping her hand down on her mother's hand, Temperance's eyes moved to her daughter's and she was suddenly paying attention.

"There's no need to shout." She said curtly, picking up a napkin, she reached across the table and wiped a stray bit of ketchup from the side of the little girl's mouth, watching her pull away stubbornly.

"Mama, stop it… I'm not done…" She mumbled as she turned her head, instantly noticing a familiar face at the counter. "Ace!" She exclaimed, sending Temperance's attention to the counter, the man turned around at his nickname and Temperance was almost embarrassed that she hadn't seen him walk in. He smiled politely and waved, not wanting to interrupt the moment between mother and daughter, he watched Ant's smile brighten. "Come sit with us!" She giggled.

"Antonia." Temperance said under her breath. "We don't want to bother Agent Harding." She said softly, watching the pout on her daughter's face beginning to form. "That's enough pouting, Antonia."

"But mama…" She whimpered, noticing the shadow of the man appear over their table. "Ace!" She exclaimed, jumping from her seat, she immediately hugged the man around his legs, his hand moving automatically to the little girl's head, where he watched her grinning up at him. "Sit with us… sit…" She said, pulling his arm, she looked to her mother, who looked genuinely less than pleased.

"I just… came over to say hi…" He said politely to Ant, as he noted the almost embarrassed look on her mother's face. "Any… um… breaks in the case or anything?"

"Nothing on our side." Temperance said as she reached across the table and stole a french fry from her daughter's basket, receiving a dirty look from the little girl, Temperance raised her eyebrows, and the little girl sighed and sat down in the booth. "You can have a seat with us if you'd like, Agent Harding."

"Please call me Christopher." He said as he sat down beside the eager little girl, who was smacking the seat next to her with her hand.

"These are mine." She stated as she slid the French fry basket toward her, seeing her mother's glare, she looked up at Agent Harding and smiled. "You can have one… if you want." She said in a tone that suggested that he may want to pass.

"Nah… that's okay, you eat your French fries…" He smiled as he looked across at Temperance. "So…?"

"So what?"

"Are you going to call me Christopher, or are we going to be formal even in a place like this."

"I like this place." Temperance replied indignantly. "I also like formality."

"Yes… but formality is to distance yourself from others, like coworkers or colleagues… here… I'm just a regular guy."

"You're Ace." Ant mumbled around her French fry.

"Antonia, please don't talk with food in your mouth."

"Showwee…" She said, shoving another French fry into her mouth with an innocent grin.

"It's tough being in a new town… finding places to eat, meeting people. As a kid, I was moved around a lot… one year, I was with four different foster families." He said with a slight chuckle as he saw the waitress acknowledge that he had moved and nodded for her to bring his food to that table.

"You were in the foster care system?" She asked, surprised for a moment, when something he had said previously popped into her head. "Never… mind, I forgot… I'm sorry…" She mumbled as he brushed it off easily. He smiled across at her, which seemed to put her at ease.

"It's fine, it's fine…yeah… I had finally settled in with a family when I was eleven… they were nice, an older couple, but they saw me through junior high, high school. They both died not soon after I joined the army."

"You were in the army…" Temperance said. It wasn't quite a question, her eyes were looking directly into his, and he nodded. There was a pause between the two of them, when their stare was broken by the little hand, smacking down on Harding's arm.

"Ace… Deuce says hi." She said, waving the little elephant in his face, Harding reached his hand out and gave 'knuckles' to the elephant, making the little girl giggle.

"How has old Deuce been taking care of himself… looks like his eye is almost back to normal." He said playfully as the little girl nodded.

"Uh huh…" She said, lifting the elephant toward Harding's face, Temperance reached across the table to grab him from her.

"Antonia Elyse… keep your toys out of other people's faces."

"Deuce is not a toy, Mama!" She demanded as she pulled the toy to her chest and glared at her mother.

"Do not make me embarrass you in front of Agent Harding and take you out of this diner for being disrespectful." She said, shaking her head. "Being naughty will not be tolerated."

The defiant look on the little girl's face quickly faded when she saw the serious look on her mother's face. "I'm sorry, Mama." She mumbled as she looked up to Agent Harding. "Sorry." She said with a pout.

Agent Harding smiled at the little girl, and just as quickly as the tears had appeared in her eyes, they disappeared, just as the waitress brought his sandwich to the table.

"Antonia Brennan, what did I hear over here about you being naughty?" The waitress said to the brown eyed little girl, who looked up at the waitress, her jaw dropping.

"No, Miss Ally, I'm good. I'm not naughty." She insisted as she swung her legs and smiled innocently.

"You had better behave… you want to be able to get that piece of pie that you love so much."

"Actually…" Temperance tried to interrupt, glancing to Agent Harding, she looked to her daughter who was grinning. Suddenly, she was interrupted by the phone ringing on the table. "Excuse me." She said, lifting the phone to her ear. "Brennan." She said, reaching across, she pulled Deuce down away from Harding's face again, giving her daughter a stern stare. She put the elephant down and smiled up at Harding, who nudged her and made her laugh as she nudged him back. Temperance's attention was currently on the phone call, though she could hear her daughter giggling at Harding. She glanced up to see that he had made a smiley face with the remaining French fries in Antonia's basket, and a big ketchup smile. She tried to roll her eyes, but her smile deceived her. "Thanks." She said as she hung up the phone, and placed it on the table. "Why are you wasting ketchup?"

"That's not wasting ketchup, Mommy… if it's gonna be a smiley face, it needs a smile." She replied, watching Temperance shake her head with wonder at the childlike grin on Harding's face. "We have to go back to the lab." She said with a sigh, her smile fading.

"Back to the lab?" Harding asked as he looked up at the waitress. "Would you…?"

"I'll wrap that up for you." She said with a smile as she took the plate back from Harding.

"Ally, we'll take a slice of apple pie to go." Temperance said, as the waitress nodded and turned, disappearing once again behind the counter, as Temperance gathered her things, in preparation to head back to the lab.

She began to pull money from her wallet, when she looked up just as Ally was returning with their take-out containers. Harding handed her a twenty and a ten dollar bill. "That should cover Doctor Brennan's meal, and tip." He said with a smile, watching Ally nod as she took the money and walked back behind the counter as he turned his face toward Temperance, whose jaw was opened slightly in surprise.

"I can pay for my own meal, Agent Harding." She said sternly as he smiled across the table at her glare, noting that her eyes were still soft and pleasant.

"I know that, Doc... though I am fairly sure that paying for your dinner was not one of the rules that you recited to me... and besides, I'm a nice guy... and you deserve a break. Let someone be nice to you."

"There are plenty of people that are nice to me." She said as she began to slide from her seat, she stood up and pulled her bag onto her shoulder, as Agent Harding stood up facing her, that infuriating smile still adorning his face. "Antonia?"

"I want to hold Ace's hand." She said, pulling on the agent's hand as she stood up, she hopped onto her feet and grinned.

"I'm sure Agent Harding doesn't need you hanging off of him, Antonia. We walked from the lab over here, you probably have your car." She replied as she looked to the seat and back at her daughter. "Deuce." She said, nodding toward the elephant sitting in the booth, the little girl's jaw dropped as she reached over and grabbed him into her arms.

"Thanks, Mama." She giggled as she looked up at Agent Harding. She turned and grabbed her backpack, unzipping it, she carefully placed Deuce within it, and zipped it up tightly. She slipped the backpack onto her back and grabbed hold of Harding's hand.

"It's fine, Doc... she can hold my hand. I drove my car over here, but we can walk back, if you want." He shrugged.

She stared at him for a moment, scrutinizing his features as she tried to find an excuse, those brown eyes staring at her, the playful smile. She took a slow, deep breath. "Fine." She sighed as she nodded toward the door. "We can walk together." She grabbed the two take-out containers and smiled to the waitress before heading from the diner to the street.

The summer breeze was warm and pleasant, and the early evening sky was a deep blue color, with oranges and reds that streaked through the sky as the sun set slowly. The little girl held tightly to the man's hand as Temperance walked just a bit behind the two of them, observing, until the little girl turned her head and pulled at the agent's hand.

"Mama, hold my hand too." Antonia said as she held her hand to her mother, smiling, she watched Temperance's surprised expression. "Hold my hand, and you and Ace can swing me!"

"Swing you?" Temperance asked as she watched Antonia nod her head happily.

"Yes...I'll show you." She said, taking her mother's free hand, she pulled and let out a laugh as she hung between the two adults.

Temperance looked up at Harding and laughed as the little girl swung for a second, and then pushed herself up to her feet. She huffed and looked up at her mother. "No, Mama... you gotta walk and do it with Ace..."

"You want me to allow you to pull your arms from their sockets, just so that you can have a moment of fun?"

"Mama..." She started to protest as Agent Harding tugged slightly and listened to the little girl laugh.

"Come on, Doc... let the kid have a little bit of fun... didn't you like swinging on your parent's arms when you were a kid?" He asked, forgetting for a moment where he was, and who he was talking to.

Temperance stopped walking and just stared at the man, knowing that he meant no harm in his words, no malice, but she couldn't help but feel a little bit of pain at his words, and he immediately saw in her blue eyes a flash of sadness. They stood, staring at one another for several moments as suddenly they felt the weight of the little girl slam down on their arms, nearly sending her crashing to the sidewalk.

"WHEE!" Antonia screeched happily as both adults instinctively pulled up on their arms to avoid her knees slamming into the sidewalk, sending her swinging into the air with a great bit of force, sending her into a wave of giggles as their hands gripped hers tightly.

"Antonia!" Temperance exclaimed in shock, though the smile never left her face was she listened to her daughter's laughter.

"Swing, Mama!" She exclaimed as she hung from the two of their arms. "Swing!" She exclaimed, as Temperance moved her arm and swung her daughter gently, a bright grin on her face as she laughed, and with the help of Agent Harding, they swung her back and forth on their arms, nearly the entire way back to the Jeffersonian.

* * *

Cam and Hodgins were standing on the forensics platform discussing their most recent findings, a computer screen blocking the view of the front doors to the lab, as the doors opened. There were a few other people in the lab, conversations and discussions that rolled through the room easily and silently, none drawing attention until the blunt and explaining voice of Doctor Brennan could be heard over all of the others. She was explaining something to someone, and her voice sounded more animated than they had heard in a very long time, her verbal expression was full of life, and it almost sounded if there was a smile on her face as she spoke.

"You've got to be kidding me, Doc... that's impossible." The sound of Agent Harding's voice chuckling as he came into view was enough to make Cam and Hodgins pause their conversation, but the vision of Doctor Brennan holding her daughter's hand, discussing vehemently to the man with such a passionate tone was enough to make them look at one another in surprise.

"I swear, Harding... if you call me Doc one more time, I will..." She exclaimed, noting that Cam and Hodgins were now staring at them, she paused. "What?" She said with a furrowed brow, her hand slipping from Antonia's as the little girl tried to pull out of Harding's grip.

"Uncle Bugs!" She squealed happily as Harding reached down and grabbed the little girl in his arms before she could run up onto the platform, Temperance turned to intercept her, but before she realized it, the little girl was in the Agent's arms.

She paused, staring at the Agent's bemused face as her daughter waved happily toward Hodgins. "I...I..." She stammered, suddenly realizing how comfortable she had felt talking to him. She was unsure of exactly what to do with Antonia, and she would feel bad asking the Agent to watch her. He was a federal agent, not a babysitter..

"I'll stay here... do your thing... We'll do ours." He said nodding toward Antonia.

"Are you... sure? I can someone to... you don't have to..."

"It's fine... let me know what they found out, it's not like I'm going anywhere... I'll hang around and wait, it's okay." He said with a smile, as Temperance sighed, grabbed her ID badge and scanned it through the scanner, climbing the steps quickly. She grabbed Cam and Hodgin's attention and glowered at them. "What are you two looking at?" She said as she passed them, heading straight for the bodies on the table.

"Nothing…" Cam said innocently as Hodgins simply tried to hide his smile and followed her to the body.

Temperance cleared her throat and furrowed her brow, looking down at the body before her. "What did you find?" She said to Hodgins, as she noticed Angela walking up the steps of the platform.

"We don't have anything to go on with the third victim." Angela said as she suddenly heard the uproarious laughter of the little girl sitting at her play desk. She glanced over and saw Antonia's head on the desk, trembling in laughter as Agent Harding sit beside her, laughing as well. "So… I see you've been able to harness the FBI's true potential."

"Huh?" Temperance said as she looked up from the remains and glanced over toward the table. "I picked her up at Lola's… I was called during dinner… he said he'd watch her."

"Sweetie… the FBI is not a child care service… you can't just…"

"He insisted." She replied, looking up and glaring at her friend, who shrugged her shoulders and glanced to Hodgins, who merely watched as they continued their conversation about the remains.

* * *

When Temperance was through with her review of the remains, she looked to the clock and noted the time of nearly eleven o'clock. Most everyone had gone home, and the peacefulness of the lab was almost foreign to her. She had lost track of time, and instantly felt guilty for forcing Agent Harding to hang around this long. She looked to her daughter's table and found it empty, her brow furrowed as she pulled her gloves from her hands and walked toward the steps of the platform. She stepped down them slowly and listened for her daughter's voice, any sound or indication that anyone was around.

She walked briskly around the platform toward her office, noting that the main lights were off, but her desk lamp was still on, she stepped into the office and nearly ran into a set of feet that were hanging over the end of the small couch. She turned, flipping the light switch on and nearly laughed out loud at the scene before her.

Agent Harding was lying on his back, his feet, still in shoes hanging over the edge of the couch, that barely held his large frame. His suit jacket was off, and draped around the tiny girl who lay sleeping against his chest, both of them sound asleep. She looked so peaceful and safe against the chest of the agent, protected by his arms as he held her carefully so she wouldn't roll off him.

Temperance swallowed hard, her chest feeling tight as she watched her daughter's nose wiggle in her sleep. She stepped forward and walked around the couch, crouching down, she touched the Agent's shoulder, his eyes popping open immediately as he held the little girl a little tighter against him, instantly relaxing when he saw Temperance beside him. "Did you find anything, Doc?" He asked sleepily, almost embarrassed that she found him lying on the couch, he felt the immediate crick in his neck as she tried not to smile.

"Don't call me Doc…" Her response came out humored and happy as she watched the agent tilt his head and smile, looking down at the little girl. "We found some particulates… some indication that the bones were in the presence of cleaning fluid, perhaps ammonia…"

"Cleaning fluid…" He thought for a moment, his voice still soft. "We should bring the school's janitor in for questioning… and the boy's father, he's an orderly at one of the hospitals… we should bring him in."

"Okay…" Temperance said with a nod as she glanced up at the clock. "It's getting late. I'm sorry that it took me so long… you really didn't have to watch her, Christopher. I could have had my father watch her, or Lola."

"Doctor Brennan." He said softly as he watched her eyes carefully. "It was absolutely no problem…" He said softly as he tried to sit up carefully without disturbing the sleeping girl. "A case like this… I understand why you want to keep her close." He said, watching her straighten her spine immediately after he said it, her eyes moving to the little girl.

"She's all I have." Temperance whispered as she reached for the little girl, starting to pull the jacket from her, Harding noticed the little girl shiver.

"Keep the jacket… it's okay…" He said with a shrug. "I can get it from you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Christopher." Temperance said as she pulled the little girl into her arms, jacket and all, cuddling her to her chest as she stood up, watching Harding get up as well. "Have a good night."

"Have a good night, Doc." He said with a playful smile as he winked and left the office quietly.


	14. I am not weak

**Chapter Fourteen: I am not weak**

5:39 AM-

It was early, and Temperance climbed the steps of her father's apartment slowly. The heavy weight of her sleeping daughter weighed down on her. She reached the top step and raised her hand to knock, rapping at the door, it took only two knocks before Max opened the door. "Hey, Dad." Temperance said as she started to step into the apartment, nearly knocking over her father as he reached for the little girl. "Thanks for taking her so early…" She whispered.

"It's no problem… it's no problem… I'm glad you changed your mind." He said as he tried to lift her from Temperance's arms, though she turned with the little girl and headed directly toward the spare bedroom. "Tempe, I can take her…"

"No, I can put her in the bed." Temperance said as she walked toward the room, glancing into the living room as Max followed her almost anxiously. "Dad, I can do it…" She said, opening the door quickly, she stepped inside and flipped the light switch on. She looked to bed, noting that the sheets were disheveled, the bed not made. "Who was sleeping in her bed?" Temperance asked as she carefully lay the little girl down on the sheets and turned to her father in the doorway.

Max chuckled nervously. "What is this? The three bears?" He said as he watched the irritated glare on his daughter's face. "I didn't get a chance to make the bed from the last time she was here." He said quickly as Temperance nodded and tucked her daughter in, kissing her softly, she reached down for the little girl's bag. Slowly, she pulled the stuffed elephant from within it, and tucked it in the little girl's arms. She paused for a moment, her brow furrowing as she moved closer to her daughter. She breathed in slowly and swallowed hard. "What is it, Tempe? Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She mumbled as she stood up. "Yeah, I'm… I'm fine." She said as she leaned down and kissed her daughter's cheek. She turned and looked at her father and sucked in a deep breath. "Thank you for watching her today." She said softly. "I just… I feel a little better knowing she's with family." She said as she walked past Max and into the living room. She glanced to the coffee table, and furrowed her brow, she said nothing as she stepped toward the door. "I'm meeting Agent Harding at the Jeffersonian." She sighed. "We are doing some… interrogations this morning." She nodded, watching Max for a moment, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for watching her today, Dad. I will call and check on her in the afternoon." She whispered, nodded, and walked briskly toward the door, she turned and gave her father a weak smile, waved, and walked out into the hallway, closing the door quickly behind her.  
----------------_____________--------

"What do you think?" Agent Harding asked, his eyes trained forward as his expression hardened.

Temperance shrugged as she peered into the interrogation room, "He doesn't look like a murderer to me."

"And what gives you that impression?" Harding turned to look at her, his brow softening and his lips turning upward into a half smile. "Is there some anthropological angle to his face that says otherwise?"

"No," Temperance replied, fighting a smile of her own. "It's just a feeling."

Harding lifted his eyebrows. "I thought you relied on facts rather than feelings, Doc."

With a sigh, Temperance rolled her eyes. "Let's just get this over with."

"After you," Harding said, motioning for her to exit the observation room before him.

Entering the hallway, Temperance waited for Harding to step in stride beside her. "You can go in first," she stated, stopping next to the door that led inside the interrogation room. Harding paused, his eyes scanning hers. There was something about the look on her face that alarmed him, but she averted her eyes away as the moment lingered. He brushed it off and stepped inside the room, Temperance following right behind him.

* * *

_Temperance shivered. She looked down to see goosebumps racing across her flesh and it suddenly dawned on her that she was soaking wet. Her clothes, now dripping with water, clung to her like a second skin. She turned her head to the right and caught the reflection of herself in the two-way mirror. Her wet hair was matted against her forehead, drops of water falling from the ends and dripping onto her soaked shoulder. She shivered again, only this time it was for a different reason._

_How did she end up here? she wondered. This was a room she had been in numerous times; too many to actually count. So while it should have brought her at least a familiar comfort, today it only confused her. She was seated at the wrong side of the table. this wasn't right. None of it was right._

_The clicking of the door echoed into the quiet room, and Temperance looked up and into the eyes of a familiar face. She didn't speak to him. She only waited silently as he took the seat across from her. With a furrowed brow, his eyes scanned her appearance and he noticed her shivering. He cleared his throat._

_"We'll get you some warm, dry towels," he said with one quick nod towards the mirror. He turned back to face her. "Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, perhaps?"_

_"No," She replied softly._

_The door opened and an agent she'd never seen before stepped inside with two towels and a wool blanket. He placed them on the table before her and left the room as quietly as he had entered._

_"Would you like to change your clothes before we get started?"_

_"No. This will be fine," Temperance stated, picking up one of the towels as she started to dry her hair._

_"Dr. Brennan," he began, "I know this is difficult, but I need to ask you a few questions about... what happened. Can you remember the last thing Agent Booth said to you? Did he seem... different... before he boarded his plane?"_

_Temperance's gaze shifted. She sat still, focusing her eyes toward the bottom right corner of the room. She could see the airport in her mind, the edges fuzzy at best. And then she saw his face. Warm, chocolate brown eyes staring back at her, his mouth turned upward in a charming smile. His lips began to move, but she heard no sound. His face was the only clear thing she could see. And then she heard to explosion again._

_"Dr. Brennan?" The Agent spoke louder, causing her to jump in her chair. She focused her eyes on him again, but there was still a far-away look in them. The agent cleared his throat. "Did he say anything to you, Dr. Brennan?"_

_Temperance shook her head slightly, "No, not anything of importance, I don't think. Just that... he was nervous about flying."_

_"Nervous about flying?" He questioned. "Seeley Booth has flown numerous times, Dr. Brennan. Why would he suddenly be nervous?"_

_"The weather. He said it was the storm that made him nervous," she said to him, Booth's words now playing again in her mind as her eyes focused on the corner of the room again. Flashes of the flaming debris laid out on the runway now replaced Booth's face in her mind. She could see herself in the reflection of the window as she watched helplessly, her wide eyes and her opened mouth staring back at her in shock and horror._

_"And you believed him?"_

_"What?" She asked, shaking her mind free of the violent scenes._

_"Agent Booth told you he was afraid to fly because of the weather... and you believed him?"_

_Temperance straightened herself in the chair. "Why would Booth lie about that?" She asked defensively._

_The agent ignored her question, moving forward with more questions of his own. "Did Agent Booth ever act suspiciously, Dr. Brennan? Did you ever feel as though he may be hiding something from you?"_

_Brennan pressed her lips together in a thin line, anger beginning to sprout from within. "He... he wouldn't tell me where he was going. He said his mission was confidential, but there have been several times since I was partnered with Booth that the FBI has sent him on other missions that he could not discuss with me. Booth is...," she paused, her heart sinking as she fought for control of the tears that were now gathering in her eyes. "Booth was...," she corrected herself, "a man of great professionalism, and I respected that."_

_"So, he **was** hiding something from you."_

_"You're misconstruing my words!" Temperance spoke angrily. "If Booth were hiding something from me, I'm sure it was for a very good reason, and in the best interest of his status as a very capable special agent. Isn't is your job as his superior to know about his missions? Why are you asking me what he was hiding? Shouldn't you already know the answer to your own questions?"_

_"You and Special Agent Booth were extremely close, were you not?" he asked her, pressing on still. "Did Agent Booth ever confide in you, Dr. Brennan? With personal matters, I mean?" The agent asked, folding his arms atop the table. "Is it possible, Dr. Brennan, that Booth shared with you some extremely confidential matters related to his mission, matters that you are now trying to deny knowledge of?"_

_Temperance's jaw tightened. A swell of so many mixed emotions rose within her chest until she ached with the force of it all. "Why are you asking me this? Booth was my partner. And he was an extremely decent man. What you... what you are suggesting is extremely inappropriate. And if you don't mind, I'd like to go home and get cleaned up now. I have a funeral to prepare for."_

* * *

Harding was about to ask another question to the janitor from the girl's school, when suddenly, Temperance kicked her chair back and stood up. He looked up at the woman and noticed her face had gone pale and her eyes had darkened remarkably. "I don't think we have any more questions for him, Agent Harding." She said sternly, her eyes pleading silently for a moment alone as she watched the agent open his mouth to reply. "It is obvious that he doesn't know anything, Agent Harding. He's a hard working man with a job that provides him with the money he needs to survive. He's not a murderer, Agent Harding."

"Doc, I don't think…"

"Stop calling me Doc…" She grunted angrily. "We're done here with Mr. Lambert. He's answered your questions. We need to let him go, he didn't do this."

Harding stood up beside her and reached for her arm. She allowed him to turn her slightly, but wrenched her harm from his grip as he moved them toward the corner. "Doc, you can't just dismiss the possibility without a full line of questioning."

"You questioned him, he said he didn't do it."

"He could be lying."

"But he's not. Leave the man alone… his wife died almost a week ago, the man is grieving… he wasn't even at work on the day that the kidnapping occurred."

"He has no alibi."

"He was at the hospital with his wife, Harding." She insisted.

"Yes, but we have to make sure…"

"Make sure of nothing! The man didn't do it! So get your head out of the sand and just see things as they are, not how you wish they could be! It's the same story with all of you FBI agents. You all let your bravado and your egomaniacal attitudes lead the way. It's not always in the first place you look. Just tell him he can go, Harding. Tell him that he can go…" She looked at him as he stared into her eyes. He waited for a moment, his eyes moving to the pleading eyes of the man sitting at the table, and back to Temperance. "Let the man grieve in peace." She said as her eyes began to fill with tears and she turned, storming angrily from the room as quickly as she could.

* * *

Harding stepped out of the interrogation room quickly, his eyes roaming the hallway for Temperance, looking back and forth, he made his way quickly toward the elevator, figuring that she had made for the exit as soon as she could. He paused for a moment and turned sharply, heading toward the stairs, he swung open the door, and nearly found himself slamming Temperance in the back with the door. She sat on the top step, her body folded over her knees as she sat, not crying, but on the verge of crying, staring at the steps.

"Doc?" He asked, stepping onto the first step, he sat beside her on the step. She continued to stare at the step, her eyes focused on the rubber topped runner that ran across the concrete step, her eyes running circles around the material as she tried desperately to block out all outside noise and contact. "Doc, come on… you have to talk to me."

"I don't have to talk to you." She said, looking up at him suddenly, her blue eyes freezing him in place, the coldness within them was foreign for him, but a familiar feeling deep in her chest, she was used to the cold, she was used to the distance.

"Then who are you going to talk to?" He asked, his voice serious and stern, her cold stare never wavering. "Tell me what you saw in there." He whispered. "Please."

"I didn't see anything." She replied. "I didn't… hear anything, I didn't… feel… anything."

"Then why did you leave?"

"Mind your own business."

"This is my business, Temperance." He said, her first name foreign on his lips, but her attention was suddenly on him, and the ice in her stare was beginning to melt. "This is our investigation… we're a team… and when one of us is too upset to sit through the interrogation, it affects the way we do our business."

"Just… go finish the interrogation, forget about me. I'll just… you can have my grad students help you… I can't… focus. I can't seem to focus."

"We have a few more questions for him, nothing too invasive, then we have to interview the father of the boy... and I'm not going to finish this without you." He replied, settling in on the step as he watched her red rimmed eyes staring at him for a moment.

"Christopher, you have to finish the interrogations without me, I'm not going in there."

"Yeah you will…"

"Please don't be stubborn about this." She replied. "I can't do this."

"Doctor Brennan… there are a lot of things that you do understand, and one of them is the history and patterns of human nature, why people do the things they do. You may understand more about a person simply by looking at them, by the shape of their jaw, the way they walk, the way in which they speak. And, you may understand a hell of a lot more than me about the skeletal system and the marks that life gives each body… You're an investigator in practice, and in your heart, Doc… and despite what you think you can't do, I know you can do this."

"I don't… understand human nature."

"You say you don't, but your actions and reactions to the suspects are spot on. We're getting somewhere, Doc. We're getting somewhere."

"Christopher." She said softly, her eyes burning into his for a moment as he watched her swallow hard. "I don't honestly think that he did it." She whispered, her eyes flashing to the door behind them. "There was no motive, and as creepy as that janitor is… he's harmless."

"He did give off kind of a creepy vibe, didn't he?"

"I don't know what that means." She replied, her expression blank before she glanced to the door and back again. "I think we're at a dead end." She replied.

"I think that we need to look at the evidence a little more closely… then we'll find what we're looking for." He said softly as he gave her a slight nudge.

"We need to find that third body." She said insistently, as Harding nodded his head.

"That's right." He said with a smile. "Let's finish this interrogation up, and I'll get on the case of the recovery team and step them up a little."

"I'll go back to the lab… see if I can find anything in the evidence we already have… maybe there's something we missed in the cars." She paused and looked over at Harding for a moment. "I'm not weak."

"I never said you were." He replied. "Now let's get into that room before they decide to give it to someone else." He said with a smile as he stood up and held his hand out for Temperance.

"I thought I was going back to the lab…"

"After we finish this interrogation. You're not a quitter, Doc."

She reached her hand up and allowed him to help her from the step, she brushed herself off and straightened herself, looking to Harding for a moment and attempted a smile. He gave her a charming smile back as he stepped up and opened the door, allowing her to walk through the doorway and down the hallway, confidently, and without faltering.


	15. The Truth Will Set You Free

**Update 15- The truth will set you free**

7:05 PM- Max's Apartment

Booth carefully slid the window open to Max's apartment, listening for movement or anything from within. He heard the television was on, cartoons were playing on the large screen television, and his movement went unnoticed as he quietly moved through the apartment. He had stayed away from the apartment since Max had woken him that morning, telling him that Temperance would be there. He had asked him to stay away, that he wasn't sure when she'd be back for Antonia, and that Antonia would probably be sleeping by this time.

He knew better than that, from his last visit to the little girl he knew that she expected him. He knew that she was waiting, and as soon as there was a creak on the floor, a tiny head popped up from the couch. Her jaw dropped in excitement, her eyes widening and he put his finger to his lips to hush her. She grinned brightly and turned around, flopping back on the couch.

Booth's brow furrowed slightly, seeing Max's head leaning slightly on the back of the couch, he could see that he must have fallen asleep beside his granddaughter, which was why he hadn't said anything. Antonia slipped from the couch and ran quietly over to Booth, letting him gather her in his arms. She held her finger over her lips trying not to giggle at her sleeping grandfather, her eyes moving to the couch and back to her visitor. She kissed Booth's cheek and hugged him tightly, loving the feel of his strong arms around her as he ran his fingers through her hair. He made her feel safe "Hey, little angel…" He whispered.

"I missed you, Deuce." She mumbled into his neck as she squeezed him tightly. She glanced to the couch again and wiggled so that he would let her to the floor. "Hurry… come to my room… Oompa sleeps like a log…" She said as she pulled his hand.

"He sleeps like a log, huh?" He asked with a chuckle as he glanced to the couch, noticing that Max had one eye open, watching his granddaughter pulling her friend into the bedroom. Booth threw him a smile and laughed, looking to the little girl's impatient expression. "Why are you being so bossy?" He asked, walking into the room, he felt her pull him, pushing his leg so that he would move backwards toward the bed.

"Sit down, sit down…" She said with a smile. "I brought you a present." She said as she moved across the room toward her bag.

"A present?" Booth asked as he watched her smile and sit down on the floor beside her bag. She started to pull items from the bag, setting them on the floor as she went. Booth sat amazed that so much stuff could fit in such a little backpack. She pulled a jacket and a coloring book, several marbles and a doll. She looked to the very bottom, reaching her arm really far to the bottom as she looked up and grinned at Booth.

"I put it in my bag yesterday… mama bones doesn't even know." She said happily as she pulled a styrofoam container from within the backpack. It was squished and unrecognizable, a red sticky substance squeezing from several cracks in the container. She lifted it up and opened it, grinning happily at her friend as she stood up and held it out to him.

Booth raised his eyebrows, he was surprised by his 'present', and he could tell just barely that the crumbled remains were of a slice of pie. "You said you like pie…" She smiled.

"I do…" He smiled, obviously not having the heart to tell her that what she held in her hands was no longer pie.

"I will get you a fork." She said, shoving the container into his hands, she ran for the door and opened it slowly, peeking out as she exited the room. She snuck from the room and closed the door behind her. She turned and latched the door, and as she turned back, she nearly squeaked in surprise when she noticed her grandfather standing beside the room. "Oh!" She exclaimed as she gave him a nervous smile. "Oompa, you scared me."

"I scared you?" He asked in an innocent voice, tilting his head as the little girl slinked away from the door nervously. "What were you doing in your room?"

"Getting ready for bed, silly." She giggled without a pause, moving toward the kitchen. She listened to the sound of her grandfather's feet as he followed her.

"Getting ready for bed? You were in there for a while… you didn't change…"

"I um…" She mumbled as she found herself caught in her own lie. "Oompa… why did you punch Deuce?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest, she gave him a glare that was strikingly similar to one her mother had given him time and again when she was interrogating him about something.

"Why did I punch Deuce?"

"Yes."

"Did he tell you that…." Max played along.

"Uh huh… he said he deserved it." She nodded.

"Well…maybe he did."

"It's not nice to punch, Oompa… keep your hands to yourself." She said, turning on her heel, she stomped off into the kitchen, reached up and opened a drawer. She pulled a fork out and stomped past her grandfather.

"Hey… where are you going?"

"I am very busy." She said, stomping into her room, she walked inside, and slammed it behind her.

Booth was watching the stubborn look on the little girl's face, her narrowed eyes widening as soon as she saw him and her smile brightened. She ran over to him and sat beside him on the bed, his eyes meeting hers as she handed the fork over to him. "So…"

"Try it…" She said with a proud smile. "You said you like pie, Deuce… its from the diner, best pie ever!" She said proudly as she watched him closely.

"You want me to eat… this pie?"

"Yep… you don't want it?" She asked, a concerned look in her eyes as she matched his puppy dog expression. "It's okay…" She sighed as she reached for the container. "You don't have to…"

"No… no…" He said with a wary smile. "This is my pie… you… you saved it for me, and… and I should eat it…" He said in a tone that sounded as if he was trying to convince himself. He took a big forkful of pie, and lifted it slowly to his mouth, when suddenly the door opened. Antonia jumped in front of Booth and squeaked.

"Oompa! I am getting dressed!" She shouted as she ran toward the door, though it was too late, the door opened, and Booth gave Max a look of relief as he dropped the fork into the container.

"You don't look like you're getting dressed…" He said with a wary look, not looking at Booth as he shook his head at the little girl. "What are you doing in here, little one…?"

"Um… um… um…" She said nervously as she glanced toward the bed, very surprised that Max hadn't said anything about her visitor. "I was um… I was… getting ready to get dressed…" She said, grabbing Max's hand. "Here Oompa… help me find my jammies…" She said, handing him the bag, she pushed on him to try to get him to leave the room.

"Ant, I don't see any jammies in here… are you sure mommy packed you some?" He asked as he turned and walked directly toward Booth, acting as if there was nothing out of the ordinary. She nearly knocked him over as she tried to stand in front of her friend, completely missing the amused look on his face as she nearly slammed into the dresser as Max moved toward it. He opened the drawer and pulled out a pair of warm pajamas with little felt feet to keep her feet warm. "Here…" He said softly. "Run into the bathroom… brush your teeth and put your jammies on…" He said as he watched her eyes flash to Booth before she grabbed the pajamas from her grandfather's hands. She took a step backwards and watched him. "What are you waiting for? Go on…" He said as she opened her mouth to say something, then thought otherwise, before she turned and ran quickly from the room.

Max heard the bathroom door close and nearly let out a laugh as he looked to Booth, who was very amused by the display of the little girl. "She is so much like her mother, it's ridiculous…" Max laughed. "For a second there, I thought she was going to try to shove you under the bed." He laughed.

"She was very close…" Booth chuckled as he looked up at Max, who saw the smashed pie in the plate that Antonia had given him. "It was pie…" He said with a playful smile. "She brought me pie…"

"She has a big heart, Booth…"

"She's all heart…" he whispered.

"Here, I'll take that…" Max replied as he took the container from Booth. "I'll send her in… you can tuck her in." He replied as Booth gave him a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Max." He said, receiving a smile in return from Max, as he slowly left the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

9:30 PM-

Temperance placed the scapula back down on the table, her eyes moving over the skeleton slowly as she tried once again to push away the thoughts of the fact that the body that she was staring at was that of a child not much older than her own. She could feel a shiver down her spine as she ran her fingers very lightly over one of the ribs, feeling the smooth surface of bone between her fingers as she observed the ivory sheen that was so bright against the lighted table, her eyes raking across the bones very slowly, methodically, almost obsessively.

"When you look at them like that…" A voice startled her out of concentration, she felt the bone slipping between her fingers, she nearly lost her hold on it, but managed to keep it between her fingers as she looked up at Agent Harding standing at the bottom of the platform.

"Agent Harding, you startled me…" She muttered, her voice was half filled with irritation, half with anxiety. She watched him take a step up toward the platform. "No, wait… you have to….!" She exclaimed, moving forward, the alarms sounded as soon as he stepped onto the platform, making him jump at the sound as she whisked behind him and scanned her card quickly, noting that her hand was on his arm, she quickly pulled it away as if she had been burned. "You aren't supposed to be up here." She said, her voice serious and cold, her demeanor matching her voice.

"I didn't realize that an alarm was going to go off if I came up here… I'm…"

"It's a secure area, Agent Harding." She said as she turned on her heel and stalked toward the lighted tables once more, standing between the tables. "The alarm is so that the evidence will not be tainted by unauthorized persons. She turned and reached for a pair of latex gloves, tossing them in his direction. "I need you to put these on if you're going to be up here."

"Of course…" He nodded, sliding the gloves onto his hands, he straightened them out and looked up to see Temperance staring back at him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked pointedly, her eyebrows rising in question as she looked back down at the remains and began to look at them again, her eyes following the curves of the bone in her hand as she ran her fingertips across them. "You can have a seat if you'd like."

"I just came in to check on you… see how you were doing this afternoon. You were really upset this morning, so I…"

"So you thought you'd be noble and self righteous coming here to the lab, saving the damsel in distress. How good of you, Agent Harding." She said in a cold tone, her eyes continuing to move over the bone in her fingertips.

"No." He said as he stood up, his hands touching the table, she looked up at him and glared. "I came here because…"

"Hands off the table." She said sharply, resisting the urge to smack his hand as if he were a child, she watched his hands move from the table quickly as he stepped back and sat down again, remaining quiet for a moment. She continued her work, and he watched her very carefully.

He noted how her brow furrowed, her eyebrows moving closer together as she stared at the bone as if it were speaking to her. He knew for a fact that she would laugh him out of the lab and back to Philadelphia if he had made such a comment, so he remained quiet. Her crystal blue eyes danced over the bone in her fingertips, running along every curve, bump, every nodule. Her lips were in a straight line, her concentration on the bone, and just that bone until she placed it on the table and stared at the skeleton as a whole for a moment. "I am fine." She said, staring down at the body before her. "I am going to be fine." She breathed.

"Those are two completely conflicting statements, Doctor Brennan." Harding replied in a near whisper, her eyes not lifting to acknowledge his statement.

"So… was there any other reason for you showing up unannounced, uninvited, and on my forensics platform this evening, Agent Harding… other than word play and general annoyance?" She replied.

"Have you found anything more?" He asked, watching her finally look up at him.

"Nothing solid, no. We won't know anything further until we find the third body. There may be evidence with those remains that we're not getting here." She sighed.

"We're still looking." He replied, knowing her question before she asked it, he watched her attention move as she turned her back to him and began to look at the remains on the table farther away from him. She didn't seem to have a problem turning her back to him, and he was concerned about what had happened earlier in the day, the way she had reacted at the interrogations. "Doctor Brennan." He said as he watched her posture stiffen slightly. "If you're uncomfortable with the case, you don't have to go through with the field work with me, if you don't want to."

"Trying to get rid of me… I get it." She replied bitterly as she continued working with the remains, her attention focusing on them as she tried to ignore the man behind her.

"I'm not trying to get rid of you." He said, standing up, walking around the table, she watched as he came into her field of vision before she looked up and glared at him.

"You just don't think I'm well." She replied. "You don't think that I can keep an emotional distance because I have a child, because I lost my partner and have refused to work with the FBI for the past four years, because…"

"No. Because you started shouting at me in front of the suspects, demanding that release them, Temperance. Because you stormed out, and I found you in the stairwell and you begged me to let you come back to the lab. Because… I don't like seeing you upset. I don't like you having to stay here until the late hours of the evening and missing the time you could be spending with your daughter."

"Don't bring her into this, Agent Harding." Temperance growled. "She is not involved in this case… she is a private part of my existence, and I do not need you to be involved in that portion of my life, now or ever." She stated clearly and angrily.

"I don't see how you can stand watch over these children's remains in front of you... I don't see how you don't see your own child lying there."

"Get out, Agent Harding!" She exclaimed angrily as she pointed toward the exit. "Get out, or I will call security and have you escorted out!"

"Temperance, I need you to be honest with me!"

"And I need you to leave so that I can do my job!" She exclaimed as she watched him rip the gloves from his hands. "Go back to your office and take a nap or something. Go live your life, and leave me to mine. I have been doing perfectly fine on my own, and I can handle this case just like I can handle any other case. I am not giving up being in the field because you think I'm weak, Agent Harding!"

"I don't think that you're weak. You're anything but weak, Doctor Brennan. This is a difficult case. This is a difficult case for anyone, and it has to be especially hard on you."

"Stop trying to be my friend, Agent Harding. Stop trying to be my friend! I don't need friends! I had a friend… a really good friend, and I lost him… so I don't need you, and I don't need anyone! I don't need people to feel bad for me, compassionate for me, to feel sorry for me… I don't need someone to comfort me! I can do this on my own! I have been doing it on my own, and I will continue to do this on my own! So take your sad eyes, and your concern, and your… issues… and get out of here! Go do your job, and find the body of that child! Do your job, and leave me alone!" She exclaimed angrily as he watched the anger in her eyes as the hot tears in the corners of them threatened to fall. She was trying so hard to be strong, and with every word she had spoken it was almost as if she were begging him to help her. But unless she actually said the words, there was nothing that he could do. There was nothing that he could say at that moment to make her feel better, and he understood that.

Without a word, he nodded. He turned and walked down the platform and toward the door, tossing the latex gloves into a trash bin as he went. He watched the doors open in front of him, and stalked down the hallway toward the elevators. He breathed in slowly as he tried to remain calm. He had been trying to check on her, to see how she was, and she had just simply snapped at him. The best thing to do, he felt, was to give her space. If he didn't give her space, then she'd just shut him out completely, she'd walk away. He couldn't have her walk away. They were far too close to solving this case.

He was just about to step into the elevator when he heard a voice at the end of the hallway. It was strong and clear, though confusion was laced intricately in its tone. He turned his head and looked into her eyes as she stood at the end of the hallway. "I'm sorry?" He said, asking politely with his eyes to repeat herself. He was sure he knew what she had said, but he couldn't be certain.

"I said… that I think I see him sometimes." She replied.

"Who?" He asked, knowing full well what she was talking about.

"Booth." She replied, walking toward him, her voice became very low as she stared directly and intensely into his eyes. "Sometimes… like… on the streets, or when I'm taking Antonia for a walk. Sometimes it's at night, I'll go to bed, close my eyes and I dream that… I'm lying in my bed awake, and I'll see him watching me… I close my eyes in the dream... open them again, and he's gone… and I mean… I know it's just a dream. I know that he's not really there…"

"He's there." Harding nodded, taking in the perplexed look on Temperance's face suddenly, the confusion and denial. "I mean… he's on your mind, he's in your thoughts. It's natural to see the person that you… to see someone you cared so much about in things and places that you don't expect."

"Is it a hallucination? Do you think that I'm sick?" She whispered.

He shook his head. "No." He replied. "Here… let's go into your office and talk…" He said, stepping forward, he placed his hand on the small of her back. "The hallway is no place for a conversation like this." He said softly as she nodded, allowing him to lead her back toward the lab. She stepped in front of him as they walked through the doors and headed straight for her office, her steps were sure, and he lagged behind slightly unsure of what he was expecting.

* * *

"You have to do the voice, Deuce." Antonia whispered to the man beside her, his eyebrows raised as she pointed at the book.

"The voice?"

"Yes, the voice of the mama bear… you have to do the voice."

"I don't have to…" He argued, seeing if she'd even give him an inch.

She didn't. "Please?" She whimpered, her lower lip stuck out just a little farther as she brought those brown puppy dog eyes to meet his.

"Oh, give me a break…" He said with a laugh as the lip began to tremble. "Fine… I'll do it… but who taught that to you?"

"Uncle Bugs." She said with a smile and a twinkle in her eye as the waterworks disappeared, she held the book up.

"Figures… he probably has to use it with Angela all the time…" Booth mumbled, smiling to himself.

"Mama bear, Deuce…" Antonia replied impatiently.

"Huh? Oh… yeah…" He said, taking a deep breath before continuing the story in a high falsetto voice.

* * *

Temperance and Harding stepped into her office, she stepped to her desk while he closed the door behind them. She stopped before she reached her chair and turned to face him. "Sometimes… I see him, sometimes it's just… his scent. It's weird, but you know, I know what he smells like… what he smelled like." She shook her head.

"That's only natural, you live in his apartment." He said, pausing for a moment when she stared at him.

"How do you know that?" She asked.

"What? That you live in his apartment? I… don't remember where I heard that, I mean…" He tried to backpedal, but from the look on her face, she'd have none of that.

"Only my colleagues know that I had moved into his place… Are you asking people things about me? Have you done your own research into my past?" She asked, her tone accusing and irritated. "What else do you want to know, Agent Harding? Do you want to know the truth about my daughter? That seems to be a topic of discussion around the watertank…" She growled.

"Watercooler… around the…" He stopped, knowing that this was definitely not the time to correct her. Her cheeks were turning flushed and she waited for him to say one more word just so she'd have an excuse to rip him to shreds. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"What are you apologizing for, Agent Harding? Are you apologizing for invading my privacy, or for interrupting my evening?"

"I'm apologizing for offending you, Doctor Brennan. I'm sorry."

"You can go." She said softly. "I don't think we'll be talking about this anymore." She sighed, turning, she sat in her chair. She opened a file and began writing something down, sensing that the man had not moved a muscle. She gritted her teeth and kept her gaze down, her eyes closing as she willed him to leave her office. She noted that he took a step forward instead of back, and she knew that he still had at least one more thing to say. She stared at the papers before her when she saw his hands as he leaned on her desk. She glowered angrily, looking up at the agent as he stood above her.

"When I was six years old, I was home sick from kindergarten one day… my mother put me up in the spare bedroom with a small television to keep me comfortable. When I was born, I had no father… and on that day, that day was the day he decided to show up. I heard the doorbell… I heard it… and I stayed quiet… the next thing I heard was my mother's voice. She was angry, agitated. She never tried to sound angry when I was around, but I could tell that she was very upset at whoever was at the door. The next thing I heard was the sound of things being shoved over, pushed… I heard my mother's voice and it was desperate, angry… and all she kept saying was… his name, over and over. His name, she would scream it and tell him to get out. I jumped from the bed and ran into the hallway, looking down the stairs, I watched as my mother was thrown against the wall downstairs, her eyes moving to me as he put his hands around her neck. She tried to scream… she was crying. She tried to scream, and I just ran into her room and hid under the blankets. I hid there until the sounds downstairs stopped. I hid down there until there was nothing in the house but silence." He paused, his eyes were staring directly into hers as she tried desperately to control the tears that were threatening to fall. He took a deep breath and continued.

"I ventured downstairs when I thought that it was safe… the door to the outside was wide open, there was blood on the walls. I was trembling, but I needed to find my mother. I stepped into the kitchen and found her there, lying on the floor. She was dead… and I was alone." He whispered.

"Why are you telling me this?" She whimpered, trying to keep her control.

"Because she's someone that I loved… so much… she's someone that loved me back just as much, and she was gone. I watched helplessly as she was taken away from me… and I would do anything in my power, anything, to get her back." He whispered. "But she's gone… and every day, I think of her. I think of her smile, I think of her laugh… I think of all of the happy things that I did with her. I can feel her hugs, I can smell her perfume… and in my darkest moments, I hear her voice telling me that I can't give up. I can't give up, and I can't let these people get away with killing an innocent person. You, Temperance… you're the best in your field, and Booth… there is no one that can replace that man, trust me. He was the best partner that I've ever had...my best friend." He said, watching her eyes widen in surprise at the latest revelation. "So you can hide behind your science and your secrets… or you can let me in… it's your choice… I am here for myself, and I am here for Booth, and he loved you so much. I am here for you too. If you cannot focus because you're thinking about the person that you love…the person that you lost… I want you to know that you're not alone. I lost someone too… and instead of using those memories as a way to pull myself from the task at hand, as an excuse… as something to be afraid of… I embrace the comfort of knowing that I had someone that I loved… and they loved me… and I fight for that." He whispered his final words as he waited for her to respond.

There were several emotions that flashed across her face as she sit and look into the eyes of this man that she hardly knew. She found something so strikingly familiar in his eyes, his words, the way that he spoke to her, but his intensity was causing her mind to race. "I… have to go…" She was finally able to whisper, watching Harding stand up and take a step back. "I…" She whispered as she tried to find a word, any word to express what was going through her mind. "I…"

"Doc…" He said, trying to get her attention, she shoved several things into her bag and rubbed her sleeve across her face as she sniffled. "I didn't mean to make you upset." He whispered as she stood up and walked past him. He turned just as she reached the door, making eye contact with him.

"I will see you tomorrow, Thank you for… talking to me." She whispered as she turned and walked as quickly as she could out of her office and out of the lab.


	16. The Saint in the Shadows

**Update 16- Saint in the Shadows**

"Sleepy head…" Booth said as he nudged the little girl, her eyes snapping open as she grinned sleepily at him.

"Did I fall asleep during the story?" She asked as she looked up at her friend.

"Yeah, you did…lazy little bones…" He replied.

"Oh… I almost forgot…" She whispered as she sat up and pointed to her bag. "In the front pocket…"

Booth climbed from the bed and walked to her bag, looking up at her, she nodded. He reached his hand into the pocket and felt something between his fingertips. He smiled as he pulled the object out, tipping his head glanced to the little girl.

"Ace said he got your message." She giggled. Suddenly, their attention was brought to the sound of voices in the apartment. "Oh no…. Mama Bones is home!" She exclaimed in a whisper as Booth cringed. He ran over to the window and tried to pull it up, finding that it was painted shut.

"Oh, crap…" He whispered as he looked to Antonia and the fear rising up in her face that the secret of Deuce would be revealed. His eyes flashed to the bed, it would be a tight squeeze but he had to do it. He ran to the little girl's bedside, the footsteps outside the door, and the voices becoming louder, and with a quick kiss to the little girl, and his fingers pressed to his lips to hush her, he slipped under the bed in one quick movement just as the doorknob turned.

---------------  
"Dad, is there something you're not telling me?" Temperance asked with a slightly irritated tone as she watched her father looking at her with compassionately innocent eyes, shaking his head.

"I'm not hiding anything from you, sweetheart. She's sleeping, she just got to sleep, so I was just… I was hoping we could talk or something?" He asked, watching her hand on the doorknob. She had turned it, preparing to walk into the room, but she couldn't seem to get past how awkward her father was asking.

"Did something happen?" She asked as she released the doorknob and crossed her arms over her chest.

"No! No… of course nothing happened. I just thought she was going to stay here tonight. I was hoping. I like to have company, someone to talk to around here." Max replied as he watched his daughter's arms cross over her chest as she stared at him for a moment. "Tempe, are you alright, you look like you've been crying."

"I have not been crying." She said stubbornly as she walked around her father, back toward the coffee table. "And what is going on with this?" She asked, pointing at the new table that was now covered in books and magazines.

"The table?"

"Yes. Why did you buy a new coffee table? I thought the one that you had before was perfectly capable of holding up your reading materials. It wasn't worn or anything."

"I'm not allowed to get new furniture?" He asked, watching her eyes stare into his. "You know… every day you look more and more like your mother." He said, watching as she turned away from him. She took a deep breath.

"You're hiding something." She said as she turned around. "You have that look in your eyes, Dad. That look that there is something that I don't know about, and you do."

"I am not giving you any look, Tempe. Just… you look really tired, sweetheart. Maybe you should get some rest."

"I don't want rest, I want to know what you're up to. Are you in trouble? Have you been hanging around the wrong element? If you're having people over here when my daughter is in the…"

"Tempe, stop it… no one has been here." He replied quickly, reaching for her hand, she took a step back.

"Well, what is it, then? Do you have a girlfriend?" She asked.

"No." He said, shaking his head. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"A boyfriend?" She asked, not even realizing her father's jaw dropping as he started to chuckle. "I mean, if you feel that way about men, who am I to say anything, there's nothing to be ashamed about if you want to…"

"Tempe." He said, his voice raising a little to get her full attention. She continued for another moment. "Tempe." He said again, getting her attention at that, she stopped, tipping her head, she looked at her father for a moment. Her eyes were red rimmed, and she looked so sad and small standing beside that door looking at him. "Are you alright?" He whispered.

She opened her mouth to reply, to give him the standard answer that she always gave him when she was upset, that she was fine. She watched his eyes focus on hers so intently, his arms poised to pull her into his arms. "Can I stay here tonight?" She whispered. "I am so tired." She whispered.

"Of course you can stay here!" He exclaimed as he reached for her, smiling sadly as she accepted his embrace and hugged him back tightly. "You don't even have to ask that, sweetheart." He whispered. "This is your home… of course you can stay here." He said as she sniffled against his shoulder. "I love you, sweetheart. I love you…"

"I love you too, Dad." She whispered, closing her eyes tightly, she allowed the tears escape and roll unceremoniously down her cheek, where they dropped quickly and wetly onto her father's shirt.

He pulled her from the hug and looked into her eyes, tipping his head. "This case is really wearing on you, isn't it?" He whispered, watching her nod her head. "How is that partner of yours treating you?" He whispered.

"He's not my partner…" She whimpered. "He's my… teammate…"

Max smiled just slightly at her reply. "Well, whatever he is… is he treating you right? Is he…"

"He's fine." She whispered. "I just… I need some sleep."

"Alright…" He said softly as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Get some sleep." He said, glancing toward the television and back to her. "I think there is a change of your clothes in that bedroom… from the last time you stayed here with Ant…I'm going to stay up and watch some television for a little while. If you need to talk…"

"I won't." She said, her voice definitive and clear, he nodded, knowing that she was being truthful.

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Goodnight, Dad." She said, leaning forward for a small hug, and a kiss on the cheek. She sniffled and turned, grabbing the doorknob of the room, she let herself inside and closed the door behind her.

------------------

Temperance stepped into the room silently, the soft creaking of the wooden floor beneath her feet as the door snapped closed. Her eyes were on the lamp on the dresser beside the door at first, scanning slowly across the room, they finally came to rest on the tiny bump in the middle of the twin size bed against the far wall. The blanket was pulled all the way up, brown wisps of hair splayed across the pillow, and a book lie open and discarded on the mattress beside her. She took a step toward the bed, glancing down to see her daughter's gray elephant lying on the floor beside the bed, far from the warm embrace of the little girl, where he usually resided. She leaned down and let her fingers brush against the soft fur of the little girl's favorite toy, lifting it from the floor, she took a deep breath, her eyes closing as her senses were again taken over by a familiar scent, a safe scent, the scent of someone she had loved and lost. Her hands gripped the toy tightly as she tried to will the scent to disappear, her pain was far too harsh to have those feelings creep into heart again.

When she released the breath, she could still sense the safety, she could still smell that sweet scent that made her heart beat faster, made her eyes begin to water. She tried to bring her thoughts back to what Christopher had said, when the movement in the bed caught her eye. The blankets moved, and an angelic face appeared, though the eyes were closed, a small smile appeared on her lips. "Are you pretending to be asleep?" Temperance asked, her voice soft and sweet, as the smile on the little girl widened slightly.

"Nope." Antonia mumbled, a giggle escaping her lips as the blanket was pulled up again, over her head.

"You're not?" Temperance asked, a hint of humor slipping into her voice as she approached the bed and leaned down.

"Nope." Antonia giggled again as she felt the soft touch of her mother on her side as her fingers wiggled, sending her into uncontrollable giggles from her mother's tickling hands.

"I think you are…" Temperance said as the little girl howled with laughter, finally pulling the blanket off her head, she sat up and laughed, as Temperance sat beside her.

"No more tickling! I'm awake, I'm awake!" Antonia exclaimed.

"You should be sleeping." Temperance said, stating the obvious to the little girl.

"Deuce was reading me a story." She said, the words slipping from her mouth before she could stop them, she slapped her hand over her mouth and gave her mother a surprised expression.

"He was, was he?" She said as she leaned down to pick up the toy, her arm suddenly grabbed by the little girl.

"No, Mama!" She exclaimed, not realizing that Temperance had already picked up the toy, she gave her daughter a curious look.

"What? I thought you wanted Deuce. You always snuggle with Deuce." She said softly as the gray elephant came into view.

"Oh!" Antonia exclaimed, giggling as she grabbed the toy from her mother and squeezed it tightly in her arms. "Thank you, Mama." She whispered as her eyes closed slightly, sleepily. Temperance thought of changing into something more comfortable, but she found that she was far too tired to move. She was far too tired to change clothes, far too tired to do anything other than lean back as the little girl wiggled to the other side of the bed. "I thought I was sleeping over tonight, Mama."

"We both are…" She said, settling onto half of the pillow as she pulled her feet onto the bed and lay beside her daughter.

"We're having a slumber party?" Antonia asked, turning her head to look into her mother's eyes.

Temperance smiled at the inquiry, her daughter's eyes were bright but sleepy, and she was suddenly enveloped by that familiar scent. She could feel her pulse racing, she could feel her breathing change slightly, and she tried to fight the feeling again, tried to block out the memories flooding her mind. "Mama?" The small voice interrupted her thoughts and Temperance opened her eyes and found herself looking into the kindest pair of brown eyes that she had ever seen, filled with concern. A teardrop rolled down her cheek. "Oh… don't cry… don't cry, Mama…" Antonia whimpered as she leaned down and kissed the tear on her mother's face. "Please don't cry…"

"I'll be okay…" Temperance whispered, running her fingers through her daughter's hair. "Mama will be okay…"

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm just… I'm just thinking…" She whispered.

"What are you thinking about? What are you thinking about that is making you cry?" Antonia whispered as she kissed another tear that was rolling down her mother's cheek.

She thought for a moment, suddenly realizing that her left hand had found its way to the St. Christopher's medal around her neck, her eyes staring into the endless pools of darkness that were her daughter's eyes, the eyes that she shared with the only other person that she ever really loved. "I'm thinking about…" She swallowed hard, watching the brown eyes intensify on hers, the pupils dilating in the dim light, her attention solely on her. "I'm thinking about your daddy." She whispered.

"My daddy?" She said, the words themselves almost foreign on her lips. She had never known her father, never known of him, she had never even seen a picture of him. He was like a ghost to the little girl, a ghost that she wasn't allowed to see. "Why?" She whispered.

"Mommy is having… a really, really long day…and when she has a long day, her thought always drift to your daddy." Temperance whispered. "Your daddy… he was a wonderful man." She sniffled for a moment as Antonia situated herself on the pillow so that she was looking directly into her mother's eyes, her hand moved to slip into hers, her fingertips touching the medal in her mother's hand, running across it tenderly. "This… was the second to last precious thing he gave me." She whispered. "It's a medal… of a Saint… Saint Christopher… he was catholic, your daddy was… and I know you don't know what that means, but he believed in…."

"God?" Ant asked.

"Heaven." Temperance corrected. "He believed in God, but more importantly… he believed in heaven."

"Why is that important?"

"Because he taught me about it." She nodded. "He taught me about what he believed, what he thought, what he knew. That's why mommy goes to his gravestone when she's feeling sad or upset... when she needs to think. He was a strong man, Antonia… he was a strong man, a kind man, a compassionate man. He was smart, loving… caring… He cared about everyone. He had a good heart, and a very good soul… and like I said… this medal… was the second to last most precious thing that he ever gave me." She whispered.

"What is the first?"

Temperance smiled sadly at the little girl, her eyes focusing on her for a moment as she tried to lift it to a more sincere smile. "He gave me you." She whispered, pulling her daughter to her tightly. "He gave me you, and you are a part of him… and a part of me… and it breaks my heart just a little bit knowing that he'll never get to meet you. It breaks my heart to know that he'll never get the chance to see you grow up…"

Antonia shifted in the bed, reaching up to touch her mother's cheek, once more wiping the tear that had escaped from her eyes. "If he's in heaven, Mama. He can see me, right?" She asked with hopeful tone, her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears for her mother who looked so sad and broken.

Temperance paused for a moment, her daughter's question catching her by surprise. Her first reaction was to reconstruct all of the walls around her thoughts that she so intricately put up whenever anyone asked her a personal question. She watched the intensity of her daughter's stare, the hopeful sparkle that lit up her face as she waited patiently for her mother's answer. Her mind told her not to do it, but before she could stop herself, the word slipped from her lips like a stream of water through a crack in a dam. "Yes." She whispered softly. "If he is in heaven, he can see you." She completed the sentence and realized how strange it felt to be saying it. She had spent her entire career denying that such things were possible, but with one hopeful glance into those deep brown eyes, she melted.

"Mama?" Antonia whispered.

"Hmm…?"

"Ace's name is Christopher… like the necklace…"

"It is." Temperance nodded, lifting the medal into the air, she let it glisten in the light from the dresser across the room, sending flecks of reflected light over her and her daughter. "But I don't know if he was named for Saint Christopher. That really isn't a question you ask someone. He is a brave man, strong… he really likes you…" She whispered, her voice becoming slightly wistful.

"What is a Saint?" Antonia asked, watching the medal twirl in the air, before stopping as it dangled from her mother's fingertips.

A dozen thoughts ran through Temperance's mind that she could use as an explanation, but quickly she reminded herself that she was speaking to her daughter, too old to dismiss the question, and too young to delve into the depths of explanation. "A saint is a person… who was a good, kind, honest person in living… and when they died, the Catholic Church decides to assign certain… virtues or characteristics to them… and they become almost a legend, or the part of a story. They become important in different aspects of someone's life. For example… St. Christopher was a man who was brave, noble… kind, and there's a story… He was a martyr... that's a person who dies, for what they believe in... dies for somethng that they love. He was a legend, really that includes one where he was crossing a river… and when he was crossing the river, there was a child who asked to be carried across it. When Christopher put the child on his shoulders, he found that the child was extremely heavy. He struggled across the river with the child, reaching the other side he had said that it felt as if the whole world had been on his shoulders… and the legend says… that the child was Jesus, the son of God… carrying with him, the entire world." Temperance finished, watching the wide eyed expression on her daughter's face, she smiled. "That's only a story though, a myth… a parable… a…"

"I liked it." Antonia smiled.

"It is impossible, however to hold the entire world on your shoulders… but… for the purpose of the story. He was called the patron saint of travelers… and your daddy used to wear this medal around his neck. To keep him safe… his grandfather gave it to him, to protect him." She whispered. "It always makes me think of him."

"It's very pretty." Antonia whispered.

"I have…" She said as she reached into her pocket, pulling the Saint Anthony medal that she had with her since she had found it. "I have this…" Temperance said, watching her daughter's eyes light up as she saw the medal appear before her, a beautiful smile across her lips.

"That's mine." Antonia whispered.

"Yes…" Temperance replied. "I found this in your room… and Mommy didn't give it to you…"

"No." She shook her head.

"Did Oompa give this to you?" She asked.

"No…" Antonia whispered, her eyes darting away as she held her stuffed elephant tighter in her arms, she stared at the wall for a moment. "Deuce gave it to me."

"Deuce gave it to you?" Temperance asked, though attempting to keep the incredulous sound from her voice, the blame of something on her favorite stuffed toy was not a new tactic.

"Yes… he wears it around his neck…" She explained. "I told him I liked it, and he said I could have it."

"Antonia…" Temperance replied, her voice somewhat stern. Her assumption was that Max had given it to her and told her to not tell her mother that it was him. Naturally, a child would find a proxy for the blame, and in Antonia's case, it was always 'Deuce.' She chose to drop the subject, seeing the confusion in her daughter's eyes, she didn't want the little girl to be upset. "Do you know who is on this medal?" She asked, watching the medal twirl in the air like the previous one.

"No."

"This… is Saint Anthony." Temperance whispered. "He was a preacher, a teacher… he went from place to place teaching people the word of God… he is known as the patron Saint of lost items… of miracles, and missing persons." Temperance paused. "That is why I named you after him."

"I'm not lost, Mama… I'm right here."

"That's right." Temperance whispered as she leaned forward and kissed her daughter's forehead. "You're right here… with me, where you belong." She whispered softly, as she pulled her daughter to her carefully, hugging her tightly in her arms. "Since this medal… is yours…" She whispered, pulling from the hug, she unclasped the chain from itself and reached out for her little girl. Carefully, she slipped it around her daughter's neck and clipped it closed. "You should wear it…it will make sure you are never lost."

"Will it protect me?" She whispered.

"It will protect you…" Temperance replied, leaning forward, she kissed her daughter's nose as she cuddled against her. "Sweet Dreams, little girl."

"Sweet dreams, Mommy." Antonia whispered, her body warm and snuggly as she slipped peacefully to sleep against the warmth of her mother.

--------------  
The words spoken atop the bed had not gone unnoticed by the hiding man beneath it. It took him all the strength that he had not to reveal himself during that conversation. Silent tears rolled down his cheeks as he listened to Temperance's words, listened to Antonia's words. He wanted nothing more than to hold them, to love them, to pray with them. He held his pride, held his breath, held his heart for what felt like forever until the sounds of their breathing nearly lulled him to sleep himself. When he was sure that they were sleeping soundly, he very carefully slid from beneath the bed. He held his hand over his mouth and nose to hold back the urge to sneeze. Rolling from his place beneath the bed, he lifted his hand to rub the wetness from the tears he had shed earlier. He stood up, and his eyes suddenly fell upon the sleeping forms that filled the bed before him. Temperance lie still clothed and on top of the blankets, her arm outstretched and covering her daughter. Their hair was splayed over the pillow, soft cascades of darkness over the soft linens of the bed. He took a reluctant step backwards toward the door, knowing that if he stood for too long, she'd stir, and he would be revealed. Another step back and he was at the door, his hand on the handle, he turned and carefully switched the light off, opening the door, he paused as the light from the hallway filled the room partially with light, and noticed that there was movement on the bed. He moved to the other side of the door, hiding himself from the room's occupants. "Sweet dreams." He whispered, his voice soft and sweet, as he began to close the door.

"Sweet dreams…" Came the mumbled reply from within the room, full of sleep and exhaustion, Temperance swore that the voice that had bid them goodnight was not that of her father. With a tender smile, and a soft, sweet sigh, she buried her face in the pillow, indulging herself in the scent, sounds, and memories of the past as she drifted off to sleep.


	17. Acey Deucey

**Update #17- Acey Deucey**

Sleep came quickly and remained as tranquil as possible under the circumstances. Temperance could sense the light of the rising sun on her face as she lie peacefully cuddled against her daughter on the small bed. The scents and softness of the bed had enveloped her and brought good dreams to her weary mind. It was still mostly dark, but the pinks and purples of the sunrise were reflecting off the buildings.

The silence was suddenly broken by the shrill ring of her cell phone. Faster than she knew she could move, she grabbed the phone from her pocket and quieted the ring, lifting the receiver to her ear she turned her face from her sleeping daughter. "Brennan?" She whispered her name and paused at the silence on the line. She was about to hang up when she heard a crackling sound on the other side of the line. "Hello?" She whispered.

"Doc?"

"Agent Harding."

"I'm sorry to wake you up." He began.

"What is it?" She whispered, impatiently.

"They found the third body."

She could have paused at this news, she could have acknowledged the shiver that moved swiftly down her spine with his words, whispered across the line. "Where did they find it?" She asked.

"Junkyard on the Virginia line. I'm on my way to get you." He said quietly.

She thought for a moment of protesting, but moving a little in the bed, she found that she was going to need some time to compose herself, and thought better of arguing. "Okay." She replied.

"I will be there in…"

"Wait." She said quickly, suddenly realizing that she wasn't in her own apartment, she rubbed her eyes sleepily. "I am at my father's place right now." She whispered. Let me meet you at the Jeffersonian… You can pick me up there." She replied.

"I'll be there in twenty." He said quickly, hanging up the phone.

Temperance flipped her phone closed and settled back on the bed, finding that she needed to watch her daughter sleep peacefully for just a little longer before venturing out into the cold, angry, and all too real world once more.

Harding rubbed his eyes as he walked from his apartment, his body sore from the old mattress that he had been sleeping on, a refurbished queen sized bed that he was convinced that at one time was a bed of nails. He had just heard from the agents in charge of the recovery effort, and though he hadn't been asleep when they called, he was very tired. Sleep was rare for him, a person who, even at a young age, could sleep three to four hours a night and wake up refreshed and ready for the coming day.

He stepped out onto the sidewalk and took a couple of steps toward his SUV, though his stomach had a slight sinking feeling. He didn't feel right, his eyes darted behind him, the dull light of the sun rising was covering the sidewalks, the shadows of the buildings still dark. He cursed himself internally for not finding a better neighborhood to live in, when he swore he heard the sound of feet running behind him, he paused and turned, putting his hand on his gun, he listened and heard nothing. He glanced at his watch and knew that it might take Temperance a little longer than 20 minutes to get ready, she sounded so tired on the phone, he had felt bad for waking her up. He was just reaching his car, pressing the button on the locks to send the front lights flashing to indicate it had been unlocked, when he was suddenly grabbed from behind and slammed against the car with a grunt.

He reached for his gun, and before he knew it, his assailant had pulled his arms together with a tight grip, and grabbed the gun from the holster, pushing his body against the car with all of his strength. The assailant slipped the gun into his pocket as Harding struggled, his body pressed against the car as a deep laugh could be heard behind him. "Jesus, Ace… how are you going to protect Bones if you can't even protect yourself." The voice growled before letting Harding go, taking a step back, the assailant stared at the man before him as he turned around and stared at him with a wide eyed expression. "What's your problem? You look like you've seen a ghost." He said, though with a slight bit of humor, he was serious. "I've been dying to say that to someone." He replied.

"Deuce!" Harding exclaimed, out of breath and still extremely surprised, he didn't know whether he should hug Booth, or punch him in the face. "What the hell are you doing? You're supposed to be dead."

"I was getting tired of the cat and mouse game." He replied.

"Well, I'm supposed to be going to pick up Doctor Brennan… we have a crime scene to get to." He said as he shook his head and stared at his friend for a moment. "I know you've been dead for a while, but… you look like shit."

"Thanks, kid… so do you… cheap suit, what's with the haircut?" Booth asked as he reached out and rubbed his old partner's hair for a moment, he laughed.

"I haven't seen you for almost nine years, four of which you were supposed to have been dead, and all you have to say to me is that my suit is cheap, and my haircut is bad?" He asked incredulously, feeling suddenly a bit self conscious beside his former partner. "Can I have my gun back?"

"You're not one of them, are you? You're not going to arrest me, are you?" He asked, his voice was teasing, but he was absolutely serious. "Because I trained you… I already know your next move." He said jokingly as he pulled the gun from his pocket and wearily handed it back to Harding. They stood and stared at one another for a few seconds, neither really knowing what to say or do. Harding had a million questions, and Booth didn't have time to stick around.

"Listen, I really shouldn't be hanging out on the street like this… I could get recognized."

"Get in the car…" He nodded toward the SUV. "I have a couple of minutes before I have to get to the lab to pick up Dr. Brennan."

"Wait… Bones is letting you drive her to the crime scene?" Booth said as he walked around the car and climbed into the passenger seat.

"Bones? Seriously?" Harding chuckled as he watched Booth's smirk widen.

"What? You don't think it's fitting?"

"Well, I know what not to call her now." Harding laughed, though his eyes were still solemn and serious as he watched his old partner carefully. "You've lost a lot of weight." He said softly, noting how thin he was looking, his muscle mass not nearly what it used to be, and Booth nodded.

"It's hard to find a good gym underground." He replied, his face then went completely serious. "Listen… the plane… that I was in… it had confidential reports on a big time drug ring… we were on our way to get the first round of dealers that were meeting at a small airport in Mexico City. Snake Eyes... Emilio Gomez Name familiar?" He said as Harding nodded. Well he… was somehow able to get on board and plant a bomb… I don't know how he did it, just that it was him based on the type of bomb planted. He was known for using colored glass as shrapnel… it was kind of a calling card for him."

"Was he involved with the dealers that you were going to round up?"

"Yeah, the bomb was twofold. It was supposed to destroy the evidence, and kill me…"

"Revenge killing for his brother."

"Exactly. But… two weeks ago, there was a bombing of a warehouse in east Philly. Six people were killed, did you hear about it?"

"Yeah… I thought they caught the guy."

"No… well, yeah, they caught the scapegoat… but the reason the warehouse was being bombed was because they had been using it for drug trafficking. The Feds found out, and were going to put an end to it, but they blew it up before anyone could get to it."

"Geez, the things they don't tell you on the news." Harding quipped as Booth watched him. "Ace, Snake Eyes has a bar in town… the Slim Lizard… great name, huh? He has a gambling racket in the back, and he enlists some of the guys that are involved for trafficking. I know there is a big deal getting ready to go down, but I am not sure where… somewhere in D.C."

"So you want me to see if I can find out where and when… and we'll bust Snake… and you'll be able to come back out in the open."

"No." Booth said, shaking his head.

"You don't want to catch Snake?"

"No, of course I do." Booth said with a sigh. "But I can't come out in the open, Ace. I'm dead… and when you're dead, you can't come back."

"Aw… Deuce, are you kidding me? You've seen enough zombie movies…. People can come back from the dead."

"Not me, kid. I promised Bones I wouldn't betray her… If she found out that I was alive, that would be the biggest betrayal of them all. If she thinks I'm dead, she has the memory of me, if she knows I'm alive she will hate me, and I'll never see her or Toni again." He whispered as Harding nodded.

"She loves you, Booth."

"I know." He whispered as he felt himself being affected by the memory of his partner, of the words she spoke the night before as he lie on the floor beneath the bed, her scent invading his nostrils as he watched her sleep for that split second. "I love her more than I've ever loved anything." He said, swallowing hard.

"And that kid… she's a trip."

Booth couldn't help but grin a proud grin at the mention of the little girl, his eyes brightening at the mere mention of her. "Toni is my angel."

"And you don't think she's going to tell her mother eventually, that a man visits her bedroom at night? A little stalkerish, don't you think?"

"That's why I need you." Booth said softly as he looked Harding in the eyes. "I need you to catch this son of a bitch that killed me… and I need you to take care of Bones and Toni."

"Where are you going to go?"

"I… I don't know, I just… Each day this is getting harder and harder for me to do. Toni is starting to expect me at that window every night, she expects these things, and if she has this notion that I will be there every day… I'll end up letting her down, I can't let her down, Ace. She means everything to me."

"So if you disappear… that won't disappoint her?"

"She'll forget me… She won't even remember me after a couple of years… she'll forget me, and won't be disappointed." Booth replied.

"You're kidding yourself, Booth."

"I have to go." Booth said suddenly as he reached for the handle of the car, he climbed out slowly. "Listen… you had better pick her up some coffee on the way over… she will be in a much better mood if you do that."

Harding smirked at his friend and laughed. "Thanks for the advice…"

"Take care of them, Ace." Booth said seriously as he looked intensely into the younger man's eyes. "I would walk to the ends of the earth for either of them." He said as he closed the door and took a step back. Booth watched as Harding pulled away from the curb and drove off down the road, and when the car disappeared from view, he turned and headed down an alleyway beside Harding's apartment building. Booth's presence was unknown to everyone, everyone except the man in the large grocery van across the street, whose boss would be very interested to find out who had just come back from the dead. He looked at the digital picture on the camera, the proof that the man they thought was dead, was indeed alive, and that he was communicating with the FBI.

He looked down at the pile of photos on the passenger seat, the blue eyes of Booth's former partner staring back at him on the first photo. The photo was taken from a great distance. He had observed the way in which she walked, her patterns, and in this particular photo she was holding the hand of a little girl, who smiled and skipped at her side. The man looked back at the darkened alley and sighed, putting the camera down on the seat next to him, he turned the van on, and made his way down the road, unnoticed.

Harding was running slightly behind when he pulled his car up to the front of the building, noting that Temperance was standing, ready and waiting on the sidewalk. She walked around the stopped car and climbed into it swiftly, closing the door behind her. Without saying a word, she settled back in her seat and clicked the seatbelt around her. "The recovery crew is meeting us out there?" She asked as Harding nodded, beginning to drive, happy that she hadn't asked about his tardiness. He watched her for a moment, her eyes on him for a moment as she seemingly breathed in the air around her, as she waited for his answer.

"They will be there." He said softly, watching her carefully out of the corner of his eye. "I brought you some…"

"Coffee!" She exclaimed, grabbing the cup from the holder nearest to her, she glanced to Harding. "Thank you." She whispered as she held her hands around it almost protectively, bringing it to her lips she savored the warmth in her hands and the aroma of the coffee scent that seemed to both soothe her and awaken her at the same time.

"It's no problem." Harding said, a bit humored over her excitement for a caffeinated beverage, he watched as she coveted the warm liquid in her hands and watched out the windshield. "Hey…" He said immediately, wanting to get everything out in the open before they continued the investigation. They had left things a bit tattered the night before, and he wanted to make sure that she was alright without actually saying the words. "I'm sorry that I just… blurted all of that stuff out at you last night." He said softly, noting that she was staring out the window intently, the cup still close to her lips. She looked smaller somehow, holding that cup with both hands, her eyes drooping slightly with a sense of exhaustion.

"It's okay." She whispered.

"It was a lot to digest… it was… inappropriate of me to put you in that position. You never asked for that information, and I kind of gave it to you full force, and I didn't mean to…"

"Christopher." She said, turning her head to look directly into his passing glances as he watched the road. "It's fine. You were trying to make me understand that you understand, that you have had a similar experience. And while our lives have been taken in completely opposite directions, there are similarities… you were trying to ensure that I didn't think I was crazy."

"You don't think you're crazy, then?" He asked, a hint of a smile on his lips.

She paused for a moment, considering her answer. She wasn't sure if she should reveal these thoughts, but there was just something about Agent Harding that made her want to tell him at least this. "Agent Booth was my very best friend. And though… I knew at the time of his death that I loved him, it has taken me a very long time to realize how much I loved him, how much of my daily life he consumed." She paused. "And I've come to realize… that even in death, he is still here. He's alive in my thoughts, he's alive in my daughter's eyes. He's alive." She whispered. "He was your partner?"

"Yes." Harding nodded.

"Then he's alive in you too." She whispered, turning her attention back to the window once more. "Is this the crime scene?" She asked as they pulled through the gates of the junkyard, the lights of the police cars flickering off the rusted cars and junk that was strewn about the property.

"Yes… they're waiting on you for identification and time of death." He nodded as their previous conversation melted into nothing, and she straightened her spine, setting the coffee in the cup holder. Harding stopped the car and she quickly pulled her seatbelt off and climbed from the car, heading over to the area where the most commotion was occurring.

"Doctor Brennan." One of the FBI techs who seemed familiar to her nodded and she smiled to him slightly as she approached the body.

"Has anyone touched the remains?"

"No." Harding said as he came up behind her. "I gave strict orders not to disturb the…" He walked up behind her and already noted that she had a gloved hand on the skeleton in the trunk, her fingers probing the remains delicately.

"Are you alright, Christopher?" She asked, turning around to see that Harding was looking a little green from the smell and the sights before him. "You can step aside, if you like. There's no need to be brave. You certainly wouldn't be the first agent that I've worked with that has lost their chunks…" She said with a bit of humor to her voice as she shook her head and continued to observe the remains. "Arm has been removed… replaced with… this humerus appears to be the one missing from the other set of remains… but we can't be certain until we analyze." She said, partially talking to herself. "I don't understand the purpose of switching the humerus on the victims, perhaps they were trying to leave some sort of calling card." She whispered.

"He thought he was being funny." Harding said, his hand over his mouth and nose to block the smell, he watched Temperance glance at him with a confused expression. "Humerus… humorous…" He said, watching her brow furrow even more. "One is the arm bone, the other is when someone is being funny."

"Oh! Oh…" She said, realizing what he was saying, not used to having someone else explain something to her, she looked down at the tiny body below her. "Oh…" She sighed. "I am fairly sure that is just a guess, Agent Harding." She glanced to Harding and tipped her head, her face serious and stoic. "We have no way of knowing what the killer was thinking, or what his sense of humor was like." She paused for a moment as Harding nodded. "Have the remains and the car brought to the lab, please… can you please give me a ride back to the Jeffersonian?"

"Absolutely no problem." Harding said as he nodded toward the car, he watched her pull the gloves from her hands and toss them into a red bag. She then turned and walked toward the car, climbing back into the passenger seat, she grabbed her coffee cup and stared out the window at the scene. He watched her for a moment longer before following her cue, his concern for her peace of mind was still on high alert, and he knew that bringing her back to the lab would give him ample time to work on Booth's case.

--------------

Harding pulled the car to the front of the Jeffersonian, watching Temperance carefully. She didn't seem too distressed, almost relieved at finding the third victim, and though she was quiet, she actually seemed more at peace. "Are you doing alright?" He asked, watching her eyes flash to his as she tipped her head, reaching for the door handle.

"I'm alright." She replied. "The remains should be here shortly. I am hoping we'll be able to learn something from them."

"You're sure you're doing alright?" He asked, watching the irritated scowl appear on her face, he smirked. "Got it… ask it again and I'll be cleaning up my entrails from the floor." He said as she gave him a half smile.

"Maybe your teeth… less messy." She said as he raised his eyebrows.

"Did you just tell a joke?" He asked with a laugh.

"It was actually a variation on a threat." She said as she climbed out and looked back at him. "Now that, was a joke." She said with a smile as she waved briefly and took a step back, closing the door. Harding waved back and drove back toward his office.


	18. Discovery

**Update 18- Discovery**

Ace walked upstairs to his office and opened the door, he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, latching the lock. He walked over to his desk and sat down at his computer, instantly entering information for the bar that Booth had mentioned to him that morning. He wrote down the location and directions on a notepad and shoved it into his pocket. He pulled out the file and looked through to see if there was any indication of what was on the plane that Booth had been in. There were several papers with black pen inked over the writing, and he assumed it was there that someone had typed the information, and then promptly written over it with marker. He sighed as he flipped through the folder, dropping a picture on the floor, he leaned down to pick it up and didn't notice another fall off his desk and over the edge onto the floor in front of his desk, slipping under the corner so that only a bit could be seen. He put the picture back in the folder and closed it. He tossed the file in his desk drawer, locked it and made his way toward the door. He needed to stop home and change into something a little less 'government issue' before he made his way to the bar, and with that he was on his way.

--------------

Temperance walked to her office quickly, and the sound of clacking shoes behind her meant only one thing. "Hey Ange." She said with a sigh as she walked toward her desk.

"Hey… you look like you got a little bit of sleep last night."

"Yeah, I stayed at dad's last night." She replied.

Angela watched her friend type into her computer, her eyes focused on the screen for a moment as she typed something in, writing some of her findings on a piece of paper. "Did you need anything?" Temperance asked, looking up at her friend.

"I heard they found the third body."

"Um… yes, it'll be here shortly along with the car and evidence around the car. When the skull is ready, we'll do a reconstruction, determine the identity of the child and… and… inform the parents. Hopefully there will be some evidence on this body."

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Angela asked as she sat down in the chair across from her friend, leaning forward she waited for Temperance's eyes to meet hers. "I mean, really okay… not just fine, or whatever word you use to dismiss my concern." She said with a sarcastic smile that made Temperance smile a little.

"I'm okay, Angela… really. I'm okay."

"I know this case is bothering you. It's kind of bothering me too, but you know… your first big case since…" She paused, watching Temperance's eyes focus more intensely on her. "Since before Ant was born… and it looks like you're doing well. How is Agent Harding working out?"

"Christopher has been a big help. He lets me do my job without giving me a hard time, which is important." Temperance shrugged. "You know some of these FBI agents don't know much, if at all about body function, and remains identification. Most of them are pretty boys in suits who follow the unquestionable word of 'the man', without a mind of their own… Mindless drones."

"So you're saying that… 'Christopher'… doesn't?" She asked with a grin, accenting the name that Temperance had used to make a point.

Temperance watched Angela try to hide her smile at her, her head shaking in a humored silence. "I think the body is here." She said as she stood up, looking past Angela. With that, she turned and walked around the desk and past her friend, out the door and to the forensic platform without another word.

* * *

Harding parked in front of the bar and walked confidently to the door. He had changed into a pair of jeans and t-shirt, a jacket over his frame to hide the weapon holstered at his side. He stepped through the door of the bar and found that it reeked of cigar smoke and stale alcohol. This was a smell that he was used to, he had been in his share of bars and though in the past he was there for pleasure and pain numbing, he was here now for nothing more than business. He walked up to the bar and waited, the bartender was cleaning the bar at the end and acknowledged the man who had walked in.

It was several moments before the Hispanic man behind the counter stepped over to him, and even then he gave Harding a scrutinizing glare. Even in his attempt to fit in with the possible crowd, the neighborhood and the atmosphere, there was something a little too clean cut for the bartender's peace of mind. He glanced over to the door to the back room, and then back to his lone customer. He stepped over to Harding and watched him. "What can I do for you?" He said, his accent thick, his demeanor was intimidating.

"Single malt scotch." He said quickly, his eyes on the bartender as he watched his gaze shift suspiciously.

"We're all out." He said in an irritated tone.

"You're all out of scotch?"

"Yeah." He said with a sneer. "You got a problem with that?"

"No sir." Harding said, watching the man carefully. "Bourbon?" He asked, watching the bartender's eyes skate over the bottles across the bar.

"Bourbon." He said as he pulled a glass down and poured the stranger a glass of bourbon.

"It's a quiet day." Harding said, making conversation as the glass was slid down to him.

"Yeah. Quiet." The bartender replied, glancing again toward the back room. Suddenly, from the back room walked a tall Hispanic man. His eyes were on the bartender as he walked around the back of the bar. The bartender turned to him, glaring over at Harding and then started talking to the man in Spanish. The two of them glared at Harding and whispered, the larger man seemed angry, and the bartender was talking quickly. Harding sipped his drink and looked up to the large man as he walked over toward him.

"Bar is closed." He said, reaching across the bar for the glass, Harding watched him slide it from out of in front of him.

"If the bar is closed, why did he serve me?"

"The bar is closed." He said again, glaring at Harding, his anger rising farther as Harding looked him in the eyes. He looked familiar, and it only took a moment to realize why. He was staring into the eyes of none other than Emilio "Snake Eyes" Gomez. The shape of his face was similar to his brother's, but the fear inducing stare was just as intense, and just as scary. He couldn't find his voice or movement for a split second, and controlled his internal anxiety with a simple nod.

"I apologize for the misunderstanding." Harding said softly as he put the money for the drink on the bar. He stood up slowly, feeling the chill of the man's eyes as he seemingly froze him in place. He then turned and walked from the bar, only taking a breath when he was actually out of the building.

* * *

Temperance stood over the remains and stared down at them intently. The remains were mostly bones, any tissue had been removed and the time of death for this child was obviously a week or two prior to the first two victims found. The humerus had been torn from the body, tendons and ligaments cut with sloppy precision. It looked to have been in that car for over a month. Cam had begun toxicology reports and Hodgins had collected samples from the hands, and other particulates that may be useful, working hard and without pause as Temperance prepared to clean the bones. She had excused her assistants in the case, claiming that there wasn't much for them to do, but in reality, she wanted to be the one there for these children, she wanted to be the one to find where they belonged.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Angela asked, touching her friend's back, she felt her jump a little at the contact.

"I'm well." She said, staring at the remains in front of her, her mind constantly sending scenarios to the forefront and her logical mind would snap them out of thin air quicker than she'd be able to vocalize them. "I will be putting the tissue markers on the skull tonight… and you can do a facial reconstruction, and we can find out who this little boy is." She said softly.

"Bren." Angela said softly. "We got a hit off the missing person's database. Mitchell Sandalwood" She said softly. "He's been missing about a month…the victim matches his size and description, he was last seen heading toward the bus stop for his school bus. We're pretty sure it's him."

"Did he go to the same school of either of the other children?" She asked, glancing to her friend and then pulled her focus back to the remains.

"No… different schools, different part of town." She said as she watched Brennan's brow furrow for a moment. "What?" She asked.

"School busses…" She said as she stared at the body.

"School busses?"

"Yes." She said abruptly. "I have to go talk to Hodgins… but… make sure Cam gets a DNA sample from the tissue… have her run and compare to the parent's DNA. All parents are required to submit a DNA profile if their child goes missing. It will be on file. See if you can get Mitchell Sandalwood's dentals, and we can check to see if they match." Temperance said intensely. "I need everything we can get… I have to find Harding… we're going to need to find the boy's bus driver, and the drivers from the other two victims as well." She said, turning from Angela, she marched across the platform in search of Hodgins, pulling her cell phone from her pocket as she walked.

Angela watched her friend's intensity, and noted the confidence that seemed to be appearing, the more upbeat attitude and energy that she was emitting. She seemed calm, relaxed. She seemed confident in a way that seemed honest and true, and not like she was hiding behind a wall of stiff and robotic motions. She was almost what Angela would call 'back to normal', if there was such a thing for Temperance Brennan.

Angela went back to her office for a short while, working on the items that Temperance had asked of her. She couldn't have been in her office more than ten minutes when Temperance came around the corner. "Ange, I have to run over to the FBI… Harding isn't answering his phone, and I need to get him to run this check on the bus drivers."

"You could try calling him again. Are you looking for an excuse to see him, or something?" Angela said with a smile, swearing for a moment that she saw her friend blush slightly.

"Agent Harding and I seem to be getting along very well. He's respectful and kind… he cares about the victims. I… I have to go find him now, but call me if you find out anything…" She said as she took a step back.

"Bye, Sweetie…" Angela said with her all knowing tone, and with that, Brennan had disappeared from the doorway leaving her to her work.

------------

Temperance tried dialing his number again, still receiving no answer, and was becoming quite frustrated by his lack of communication. She stepped off the elevator and moved quickly toward his office, her visitor badge bouncing off the lapel of her jacket as she rounded the corner and noticed that his door was closed, but the lights were on. She glanced around to the other agents who were working around the office, their cubicles smaller, though probably most efficient for the sharing of information in different cases. She stepped up to the door and knocked, sighing as she waited for him to answer. She knocked again and glanced behind her, noting an agent walking toward her. She stopped and for a moment thought that they might be familiar. "Doctor Brennan?" The agent said, approaching her with an outstretched hand.

"Yes, I'm looking for Agent Harding."

"He was here a little while ago… came in pretty fast, then took off toward storage. It's possible he left his cell phone in his office, he said he'd be right back." The agent said politely.

"Thank you." Temperance said with a polite smile, the agent smiled and returned to what he was doing. Temperance sighed, and looked back toward the door, she reached for the door handle and found the office door unlocked. She pushed herself inside and sighed, walking toward one of the chairs for visitors, she pulled her bag around and off her shoulder, turned and sat in one of the chairs. She looked through her bag for a moment and then settled on the chair to wait, her eyes flashing across the desk to see Harding's cell phone sitting atop a pile of folders, she rolled her eyes and continued to look through her bag, grabbing her cell phone from her purse, she dialed a number quickly. Waiting patiently, Max picked up. "Dad?"

"Hey, sweetheart, how are you?" Max asked.

"I'm alright, listen… it's going to be a long night, and I don't want to wake you up tonight when I come to pick Antonia up. I am going to have Lola pick her up after dinner, and take her to my place, is that okay?"

"She can stay again, Tempe… you both can." Max replied in a soft tone.

"No, my place is a little closer to the lab… I don't want to keep you awake… and before you say anything, I know… I know it's not a problem, but I just want to sleep in my own bed tonight." She replied softly, listening for her father's insistence, finding herself surprised when it didn't come. "Is that okay?" She asked softly.

"It's okay." He replied. "Would you like to talk to her?"

"Yes, please." Temperance said, already hearing the chatter of the little girl in the background.

"Hi Mama Bones!" She exclaimed exuberantly over the phone, the smile in her voice was enough to bring one to Temperance's lips.

"Hey… what did I stay about calling me that?"

"I dunno." She shrugged.

"What have you been up to?"

"Um… Oompa and me were playing with Deuce… he showed me a card trick."

"Really?" Temperance asked, the smile still on her lips. "Is Deuce behaving?" She asked.

"Deuce is really funny… he was telling me a…" Suddenly, she became quiet for a moment and Temperance noted her daughter's distraction.

"Antonia?" Temperance asked.

"When are you coming home, mama?"

Temperance paused for a moment, confused about the change of subject, but her daughter was only three years old and her attention span was short, so she thought nothing of it. "Well, it looks like mama has to stay late tonight."

"Oh." The disappointment in the little girl's voice made Temperance's heart sink.

"Well… I'm trying to help catch a bad guy, silly…" She said, trying to remain as positive as she could.

"You're gonna catch a bad guy?"

"I am…" She said, smiling upon hearing the smile in her daughter's voice again.

"Do you get to use a gun?"

"I'm not allowed to have a firearm, no." She said quickly.

"Is it because you were bad?"

"We really don't need to be discussing this now, little one. I just wanted to let you know that Lola is going to come pick you up at Oompa's and take you home after dinner… Mommy will be in to give you hugs and kisses when she gets home."

"I love you, Mama Bones."

"I love you, little angel." Temperance said softly, feeling a lump forming in her throat at the slight tinge of sadness in her daughter's voice. "Tell Deuce that I love him too…"

"I will." She said with a smile. "Here is Oompa." She said, handing the phone to Max.

"Tempe?" Max said her name softly, and she listened to the sound of his voice as he spoke, a piece of paper sticking out from beneath Harding's desk catching her eye. "I'm going to have Lola pick her up around seven."

"Uh huh." Temperance replied, reaching for the paper, she felt the glossy texture of the photo on the other side of the object and lifted it slowly.

"Did you need me to get any groceries or anything for the house?" Max said softly into the line.

Temperance didn't answer right away, lifting the photo from the ground, she flipped it over, and the photograph before her made her blood run cold.

"Tempe?"

The photo before her was one she was very, very familiar with, one she had seen on numerous occasions and every time she looked at it, it made her stomach churn angrily, it made bile rise in her throat, and it made her heart nearly stop. "I have to go, Dad." She managed to whimper, closing the phone. She stared at the flames in the photo, the tail of a plane still nearly whole, still smoldering. In that moment, she could feel the rain on her skin, she could smell the burning jet fuel, feel the heat of the fire melting away the remains of her life. She stood up abruptly, grabbing her bag as she took a deep breath, feeling the air being choked out of her by the memory. She stared at the photo, her eyes flashing to the desk, and then to the photo, her thoughts on this man that she hardly knew that she was putting so much faith in. She felt stupid, duped. She felt like she had been used. She could feel the anger rising up through her body, and with a swift turn, she was heading toward the door, nearly slamming into the door as it opened before her, coming face to face with the object of her rage as Harding stepped over the threshold.


	19. Resistance is Futile

**Update #19- Resistance is Futile**

"Doc…?" Harding said, the smile that was moving over his features was quickly extinguished as soon as he saw the anger in her eyes. "What's going on?"

"I think I should be asking you that question, Agent Harding." She said in a cold, detached tone that sent a shiver running down his spine. He knew that she was someone that he shouldn't cross, someone that he should never, ever make mad. He had heard the rumors, he had even spoken with some of the agents that had worked with Doctor Brennan. She was not someone you made angry, not even just a little angry, and he knew that he was in for it, and the best thing that he could do was to stay cool and let her vent, no matter the reason she was here.

"Seriously though, what's going on?" He asked walking around her as she followed him with narrowed eyes, her hand remained on the door where she had caught it, she turned and swiftly slammed the door closed, locking it with one swift moment. "Temperance, what is this all about?" He asked, noticing that she held something in her hand.

"I think you should be explaining to me, what's going on!" She exclaimed as she stalked over to his desk as he walked behind it, she slammed the picture that she had found on the floor down onto its hard surface. "Why the hell do you have this in your office?" She asked, watching his features as he remained composed during her questioning, not at all phased at being caught for having the photo. His lack of reaction had caused more anger to rise in her heart when she watched the intensity in his eyes as she glared at him with rabid disdain. He felt that if it were possible, she'd turn him to stone with that glare. "Well, Agent Harding? What do you have to say for yourself?" She growled, trying not to raise her voice too much, she could feel the anger affecting her emotions, and she knew that if she didn't stop soon, she was going to break down.

"I…"

"You what? Are you spying on me?" She interrupted, leaning closer to the agent, he could almost feel the heat of her body, the anger radiating from her.

"No! Why would you think I'm spying on you?" He asked, surprised that she chose this particular direction to go with her questioning, and not to Booth.

"The FBI has been trying for four years to get information out of me about what I know about Agent Booth's case, Harding. They have been trying for four years… do you understand? They have berated me, interrogated, everything short of injecting me with sodium amobarbital to force me to tell the truth. I told the truth! I don't know anything, okay? I don't know anything more than you know! I cannot believe that they would do this to me!" She shouted angrily, slamming her fist down on the picture, she glared angrily at him and shook her head in disappointment for allowing herself to let this man get close to her.

"Temperance… please…"

"It is Doctor Brennan, Agent Harding." She growled. "I can't believe that I thought that I could trust someone here… I can't believe that I let myself do this. I… I have… I have to go." She said, feeling the emotions starting to rise like a storm surge.

"Temperance, listen… it's not what…" He started to say, and when she turned around to confront him, he took a step back because he could see the tidal wave starting to rise. He could sense the crash that was going to uproot him from where he was standing, and the last thing he wanted to happen was to have her close herself off to him. He had somehow managed to crack her shell, and one wrong move now could make her close up faster than he could ever imagine. She was trembling with anger as she glared at him for several moments, and he found himself unable to complete his sentence, but she was ready. She was sharp and ahead of the curve, and she finished his sentence for him in a cloud of anger and bitterness.

"What? It's not what? It's not what it looks like? You are a spy for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, you're nothing but a tool to them, and I don't ever want to see your face in my lab again. File for reassignment, or I will file for your dismissal!" She shouted angrily at the agent. "This case is closed! The case is closed, and I'm trying to get my life back without being constantly reminded that I'm alone! I have no one, and you've only succeeded in solidifying that truth!"

"Temperance, please. Please listen to me." He said, watching as she desperately fought the tears that were threatening to fall.

"You have no right… to do this to me…" She growled, seemingly prepared to delve into another rant, she was nearly breathless, and her stone exterior was seemingly crumbling before him. He knew that the last thing she wanted to do was break in front of someone. He knew that she had tried so hard to remain strong, to remain detached, to distance herself, and if he was going to break her, he had to make it worth her while… so he said it.

"Temperance, I think I know who killed Booth." He whispered urgently, stopping her before she continued her tirade.

She stood before him, breathing slow, deep breaths as she concentrated her eyes on his. She refused to say another word, it would be impossible. She knew that if she spoke, she'd lose all composure, and the façade that she had been fighting so hard to maintain would disappear. She just stared into his eyes. "I… was contacted by someone who…"

"Who?" She demanded, the word sounding hollow and detached, almost as if she hadn't said it.

"I… can't reveal the source, Temperance… but this person is reliable. I was contacted by someone who has links to the case… the case that Booth was working on, and the one that got him killed…" He paused, watching her face. Her ears were bright red in anger, her eyes were quickly filling with tears, and he knew that if he didn't hurry and get this information through to her, that she'd be out of his office and never turn around. "No one knows I have the file, Temperance." He whispered. "No one else is looking into the case, because no one has the knowledge of how deep this goes… how absolutely messed up this situation is. I think… that someone higher up got spooked after Booth died. The evidence was lost in the plane crash, so they just dropped the case."

"You think that Booth was killed by one of his own?" She whispered, her face pale as she listened, though her eyes were filled with so much intensity, the emotion just radiated from her.

"I think that when Booth was killed, when the plane crashed and the evidence was destroyed the FBI stepped back… whether there is some kind of cover up, I don't know. What I do know, is that Booth's killer is still out there. He's out there, and he's close."

"How do you know?" Temperance asked, her tone just on the verge of accusatory, though she was quickly gaining her ground.

"The case that Booth was working on… the one that the FBI has been harassing you about… was linked specifically to this guy. The agents on that plane were targeting a drug ring in Mexico City… and the group was being led by the brother of the man that Booth killed in a case years before. This guy must have known that Booth was involved in the investigation, he may have a man on the inside… because he was able to get the bomb on that plane. Somehow, he was able to destroy both the evidence, and the man that killed his brother. The ring was broken up after the bombing. I spoke with the task force about it, they said that they disbanded and moved on, becoming smaller groups of smugglers, dealers… and this guy…" He said, pulling out a photo of Emilio Gomez. "He's still out there…"

Temperance could feel a catch in her throat, her heart was beating wildly in her chest as she stared at the soulless eyes of the man who had taken her best friend. She stared into those eyes and could feel her body become warm with the rage of the four years without her partner, her friend, the man that she loved. She looked up at Harding, her eyes were narrowed and the color had gone darker as her pupils dilated with the fresh feeling of pure hatred coursing through her body. "Are you going to kill him?" She asked, her voice was strange and foreign, deep and husky as the question flittered off her tongue as if she were asking if he wanted a cup of coffee.

"Temperance…"

"Are you going to kill him? Do you know where he is, and are you going to kill him?"

"I am not a murderer, Temperance."

"But he is! He is a murderer! He killed Booth! He killed the only thing I had! The only thing I ever loved totally and completely! He took that away from me!" She screamed as she slammed her fist down on the desk, losing the will to stand, she could feel her body trembling, and before she could fall, Harding moved around the desk and caught her in his arms, shifting them toward the chairs, he helped her sit as she sit trembling with anger and hurt, her eyes were focused on the carpet as she clenched her fists tightly, fighting the urge to scream, curse, do something irrational. She was fighting so very hard to keep everything together and all she could see in her mind were those eyes, those angry, hate filled, and soulless eyes. She closed her eyes so tightly that her head was starting to hurt, her teeth hurt from clenching them, her hand hurt from the fist that she was squeezing.

"You have to breathe, Temperance." Harding whisper. "You have to breathe…please… just…just very slowly, Temperance." He whispered, feeling as her trembling became worsened, harder, more concentrated, he pulled her into him, expecting resistance, and finding none. She gripped him with her fingertips, digging her hands into his skin as she held him for a moment, unsure of what to do, he just held her. "Temperance, you have to breathe!" He whispered. "Please just say something, please?" He whispered.

"I need to go." She whispered, releasing him, she pushed him away and watched as he stood up in front of her and held his hands out.

"No." He said, crouching, taking her hands, she stared into his eyes. They were reddened with unshed tears as well, he was affected and he was trying so hard to hold it back. "You can't go, Temperance." He whispered.

"I have to… go, I have to go…" She said, her voice was becoming smaller and more desperate as she tried to fight the urge she had to break. "I'm sorry." She whispered as she started to stand up, she grabbed her bag and glanced back to the picture on the desk, she could feel herself falling apart. "I have… to talk to someone, I really have to go." She whispered as she moved around him, and stalked toward the door.

"Temperance." He said, still crouched by the chair, his tone serious and stern. "Temperance, no."

"I have to talk to someone, Christopher." She whispered. "I need to… do this." She whispered, pausing with her hand on the doorknob as if she was unsure if she should walk out of the door or not. She knew what was pulling her out, but there was so much more that she needed to know, and she needed to work through. His next words made her gasp.

"Does he ever answer?" Harding whispered, risking his life once again to ask a question about her past, about her beliefs, about what she does in her private moments of peace.

"Excuse me?" She said, turning her head, her hand remained on the doorknob, and her eyes which were reddened and sad a moment ago were quickly flashing the warning signs of anger once again.

"I am not trying to be disrespectful." He said, turning and standing beside the chair, he held his hand out to her, to indicate that he was sincere. "I just… I was at the cemetery the other day."

"So you are spying on me?" The anger rolling through her heart once again, she was tiring quickly of the constant emotional rollercoaster that she was on, she was becoming exhausted with it.

"No! No, it's not like that! I swear… I swear, Temperance… I didn't even know you were there! I was there for something else, for someone else and I saw you… I'm sorry…" He paused. "I'm sorry for your loss, that's all I meant to say."

She stared at him for a moment, the anger again draining from her features as she released the door handle and turned. She crossed her arms over her chest in a clearly defiant pose as she stared at him. "I have…. Not heard his voice… but I feel that… standing at his stone, talking to him as if he were there… for that moment, for that… split second, he's there… talking to me… arguing with me, telling me what… what his heart, what his gut would tell me to do. He doesn't answer me, no… he's dead… he can't answer me." She said, allowing her voice to soften as she swallowed. "He can't answer me with words, he can't give me advice, or tell me what to do… but he listens." She replied. "He listens, and… that's all I need, is someone to listen." She whispered.

"I can listen." He said, offering a polite smile that caused her eyes to lighten slightly. It was a very minute change, but a change nonetheless. "I will never replace what you had with him, Doc… and I'm not even going to try… but I can listen."

She watched the sincerity in his eyes, watched his adams apple bob up and down as he swallowed hard, all of the indicators that he was being truthful with her were there, yet she held back just another moment. "Are you going to catch this murderer?" She whispered, her question hanging in the air as she let her eyes burn into his. "Are you going to catch him, so that he doesn't get away with this again? Are you going to get him off the streets so that he won't kill another husband, father… lover, partner… again?" She whispered.

"I am putting my career on the line to do this, Temperance. I am willing to put my life on the line as well."

"Don't die, Agent Harding." She said, letting the words roll off her tongue coldly as her icy blue stare sent shivers down his spine, her voice full of determination. She then allowed her eyes to deceive her for a split second as she swallowed hard and shook her head, blinking tears away. "I can't deal with the death of another partner." She whispered.

He let a tiny smile escape his lips, the word 'partner' on Temperance's lips made him feel proud. He took a deep breath, neither of them speaking for a moment, when Harding suddenly realized that there had to have been a reason why she had come to his office in the first place. "Do you mind if I ask a question?" He asked, watching her brow furrow slightly as she gave him a nearly suspicious look. "Did you have a reason… for coming to my office?"

A look of realization slipped over her features as she swung her bag from her shoulder. "Yes… why I came here in the first place…" She said as she switched completely into a professional mode, her shoulders thrown back in pride and confidence, as if the previous conversation had never happened. "We need to find the bus drivers for all three victims." She said as she pulled a file from the folder. "The names are here… and the schools should have background information of each one of them, it's the common link in all three cases, and I think we may have pulled something off the body of the remains that we got this morning." She said as Harding flipped through the folder and nodded his head.

"I'll have the guys get on it right away." He said, nodding his head as he flipped through the case file, he watched as she nodded her head. "I'll call you when we have them… if you are up for another interrogation." He shrugged.

"I'm up for anything." She said with a nod.

"I'll remember you said that." He said, pointing toward her as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder and walked toward the door.

"Christopher." She said, watching him look up from the file, his eyebrows raised in question. "I mean anything." She replied. "I want to be kept in on the loop with the other investigation. I'm willing to put my career on the line as well, put my life on the line.

"Not your life, Temperance. You have a little girl to take care of."

"I would die for her too, Christopher."

"I'll let you know when I find anything out… I promise."

"Thank you." She said with a nod, as she turned the lock on the door and stepped out of his office, in her mind having only one destination.


	20. Not What It Seems

**Update 20- Not What It Seems**

She parked her car in the same secluded space below the same oak tree that she had been parking it under since the first day she forced herself to enter this cemetery alone. She stood beside her car and glanced out onto the stones before her and she lamented for a moment over the steps that she had taken, the conversation that she had just had with Agent Harding, and the implications that it held for her and her future, her peace of mind, her sense of self satisfaction, and the peace that would come with the knowledge that Booth's death was not in vain.

Lowering her head so that her eyes were focused on the ground, she walked the eighty six precise steps toward the stone that she visited so regularly. Each step was filled with purpose, if not a slight sense of anxiety, and just as she reached step sixty two, her head lifted to glance at the stone from afar. She then stopped.

Booth's gravestone was a smooth gray stone, flat at the top, easily identifiable from the older stones that surrounded it, that were often shaped like crosses, or angels. His will had stipulated that he not be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, a place for war heroes and others who had fought for their country. He had preferred to be buried in a modest cemetery, in a modest part of town, among the people that he protected, not the people he fought with and fought for. She stopped, not to admire his stone from afar, but to observe an object that had been placed atop it. She had twenty six steps before she reached the stone, so she wasn't horribly far away, and recognized the object as a deck of playing cards. She stood, staring at the cards, loose and not in a box, and the cool wind that blew indicated that they had been placed there somewhat recently, because they didn't appear to have shifted from the grave from the light wind.

Temperance looked around, attempting to see if there was anyone else around, anyone else who would have left those cards on the grave of her friend, because there was never anyone leaving objects for Booth, no one but her.

Every year on his birthday, she'd sit by his stone and eat a slice of his favorite pie, and every year on Christmas, she placed a small Christmas ornament at the base of the stone. Most everyone else stayed away from the cemetery, at least when Temperance was there, and no one ever left an indication that they had visited, until now. She took the rest of the steps toward the stone, and just as she reached it and reached out for the deck of cards that sat atop the stone, a gust of wind sent them fluttering into the air. A sound of exasperation escaped her lips as she attempted to catch the cards as they flew through the air, scattering around the stone haphazardly as she gathered them as quickly as she could, her feet moving quickly around his stone, and the stones around his, her attention solely on those cards, as if they held the answer of some sort of question, as if she knew that they were connected to him in some way.

She gathered all of the cards she could see around the stone, and holding then in her hands, she could tell that there was something missing about them, something wrong. The pile of cards she held in her hand was much thinner than a standard deck of playing cards, and when she turned them over to the suit side of the cards, she could see what was missing. Whoever had left the deck lying on the stone, had purposefully removed every card from the heart suit. She counted the cards in her hands, and found that she was correct, the only cards missing were heart cards. She furrowed her brow, her lip slipping between her teeth as she glanced at his stone, his name staring back at her as she held onto the cards. She could feel a cool chill moving through her body as the wind picked up again, pushing her hair into her face as she stared at the cards. She looked around again, pulling her cell phone from her pocket, she dialed Harding.

"Harding." His name was gruff on the other end of the line, her eyes staring at the stone as she didn't say a word. "Temperance?" He said, having recognized her number on the phone, he listened to the silence. "Temperance, are you okay, where are you?"

"Cemetery." She whispered into the phone. "I'm at the cemetery." She whispered. "Someone left something."

"I'm on my way, are you okay?"

"No." She whispered honestly, tears rolling down her cheeks as she remained stuck in that spot, staring at the stone, her fingers trembling with the cards in her hand, as she closed her phone and waited for Harding.

------------------

The doorbell at Max's apartment rang at six o'clock, and Max walked toward the door. He opened the door and smiled politely at the woman at the door. "Lola… it's wonderful to see you again." He said with a smile as he glanced toward the spare bedroom. "Come on in… I'll go get her, she's in the bedroom." He said, ushering the woman into the house, he watched her stand at the door and hurried over to the spare room. He stepped inside, and watched his granddaughter sit on the bed with a pitiful pout on her face. "What's wrong, sweetie?" He asked as he approached the little girl.

Max crouched down in front of his granddaughter. "I don't want to leave, Oompa… I want to stay."

"I know, baby, but mommy wants you closer to her… she'd rather have you home."

"But I don't want to go home." She mumbled sadly, sighing.

"I know, I know you don't want to go home." He said as he poked her nose with his fingertip. "Oompa loves it when you stay here with him, but you know that your mom is the boss… you know she's in charge… do you have all of your things?"

"Uh huh…" She nodded.

"You have your tea set, and your doll… you have Deuce?" He asked, watching her glance to the door, and then to Max.

"Um… yeah." She nodded, remembering that he was talking about her stuffed elephant, and not the 'invisible' friend that she loved so dearly. "Yeah, I got it all…"

"Well, let's go then…" He said with a kind smile, holding his hand out to her as she shook her head.

"No." She mumbled stubbornly.

"Princess…" Max whispered.

"No! I don't want to go!" She shouted angrily.

"Antonia, this is enough… why are you shouting? Why are you being naughty?"

"Because I don't want to go with Lola… I want to stay with you, Oompa. Please let me stay here with you… please?" She exclaimed, leaping toward him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly. He rubbed her back soothingly as she cried, her stubborn side quickly fading into tears as she tried her best to guilt her grandfather into letting her stay.

"And why do you want to stay so badly, little one… what does Oompa have here, that you don't have at home?" He whispered, watching her back away, she looked him in the eyes, tears still streaming down her cheeks. She sniffled. "Huh?" He asked. She rubbed her eye with the back of her hand and watched his face.

"Deuce." She whispered.

"You said you have Deuce, baby." He whispered.

"No… the real Deuce… you saw him, remember?"

"I remember." He nodded. "He was here?" He asked, pretending to be surprised, the little girl nodded her head and sniffled again. "Is he here now?" He whispered.

"No." She whispered. "He was here earlier… we read books, he gave me lots of hugs." She whispered. "He used to only come see me at night, but…" She sniffled. "But he said he has to go soon… and if I'm here, I won't miss him."

"Deuce isn't going anywhere, baby…" He whispered, looking into those dark eyes deeply, he had a hint of a smile on his lips. "He can say he's going… he can say he won't be back, or that he has to go away… but he'll always be here, he can't leave you. He's your protector, he's your guardian angel…"

"My saint?" She whispered, reaching her hand down to touch the medal around her neck, she pulled it from under her shirt and showed her grandfather. He smiled at her and nodded.

"He's your Saint." Max whispered. "Are you ready to go with Lola now?" He asked, watching her nod her head.

"When Deuce comes back…" She whispered. "Tell him not to go."

"I'll be sure to tell him."

"Oh… and Oompa…"

"It's our secret, little one." He said, smiling at her grin as she jumped to the floor and grabbed her bag, swinging it onto her back, she smiled at her grandfather as she opened the door.

"I love you, Oompa."

"And I love you, angel." He said, standing up, he followed her out of the doorway to make sure she was safely on her way with Lola.  
---------------

Harding pulled his SUV into the space behind Temperance's and turned his lights off. It was six in the evening, and the summer sun's heat was still beating down on Washington. Despite that, he pulled his suit jacket over his shoulders and jumped from the car, noting the lone figure standing several yards away in front of a gravestone, standing as if she couldn't move from where she was. He watched her turn to him, her eyes in almost a panic, as if she had expected it to be someone else, almost as if she had expected to be attacked. In her hands, she held what looked to be playing cards, her eyes were red rimmed and scared, her mouth slightly open, her eyes conveying what her words could not. "Temperance, are you okay?" He asked, walking up to her, he looked down at the cards in her hand. "What is that?" He asked, trying to remain as oblivious sounding as possible, though he immediately recognized the style of the deck.

"Don't touch them." She said, pulling her hand away from him, she stared into his eyes. "Don't touch them, they're evidence."

"But Temperance, you have them in your hands."

"They flew all over the place… they were on the stone, and the wind blew… and they were all over…. All over the ground, I had to pick them up…" She said. "I tried not to touch the surface of the cards, but I noticed something…"

"What?" He asked, reaching into his pocket, he pulled a plastic bag out. He opened it, and allowed her to drop it inside.

"There are no heart cards." She whispered.

"No heart cards?" He asked. "That's strange." He replied, though he knew what the message that was being conveyed was. He watched her as she stared at the cards in the bag.

"I know… and… and they couldn't have been there long… they would have flown away earlier, I don't understand this, Christopher."

"It's a message." He said, watching her eyes meet his. "From my source…"

"I don't understand."

"The case that Booth and I worked on was involving drugs… and gamblers. My informant has been leaving me clues… in the form of playing cards."

"He's playing games with you?" She asked, her voice sounding offended as she watched him shake his head.

"No… no, he's very reliable… it's unsafe for us to meet, he doesn't want anyone to know we're here. Each clue means something different, and it's up to us to interpret the clue. He wants to catch this guy as much as we do, but he can't put his life on the line by writing notes, or showing up and meeting with me. The clue here..." He said, holding up the cards so she could see the faces, "It's that he's putting all of his cards on the table."

"They were on Booth's stone… not a table... and they're not all of the cards, there is a suit missing… and why would he leave it here… did he want me to find it?"

"My thought is that he knew you'd bring it to me, if you did find it… and at this point, he wants you to know that I'm searching for the killer… his killer."

"Booth's killer."

"Yes." Harding nodded.

"Why would he assume that I'd bring it to you?" She asked. "How would you informant know, that we're partners? Is it someone we're working with on this other case? Who is this person that is giving you information? Who knows all of this?" She asked, her demeanor was becoming very uneasy, and he could see the fear in her eyes that she was trying to conceal.

Her interrogation was suddenly interrupted when his phone began to ring insistently. She glared at him as he held his finger up to her and put the phone to his ear. "Harding." He said into the line, waiting for a moment, his brow furrowed and he looked confused. "Are you sure?" He asked, looking to Brennan, she gave him a concerned glance. "And you checked this three times… Thanks, Patterson. We'll be right there." He said as he looked up at Temperance, her eyes remaining steadily on his. "Listen, Temperance… the less stuff you know about this informant, the less danger you're in… He contacted me because he trusted me… I told him that I was working with you on this other case… that's how he knows we're working together on this. The cards… they are not a game, but a sign… the fact that there are no heart cards… but he left the rest of the deck... that means he's willing to give it all up to find the murderer and bring him to justice… because he's following his heart." He said, watching her surprised expression. "But this…" He said, holding up the phone that he had just closed. "This was one of our guys… he says that the bus drivers… in all three cases… Same guy, three different names."

"Are they sure?"

"One of them is the guy… but, the other two names he went under, were his brother's names… he used their identification and their personal information in order to get the jobs at those other schools."

"I don't understand… they'd all have different fingerprints…"

"Yes, but when a driver's background is checked, they only check it against the registry, they don't check it against other school's records. This guy was working at all three schools at or around the time that those kids disappeared."

Her eyes lit up at the information, her mouth open slightly as she watched his eyes. "That means…"

"That means they're bringing the guy in for questioning… get on your interrogation boots, Doc… we're going in…"

"Wait… there's not actual… boots for…"

"I was just… nevermind, let's go…" He chuckled, pocketing the playing cards, and his phone he turned toward his car. She ran after him and jumped into her car, following him the entire way to the FBI building to review the evidence so that they could apprehend their suspect.


	21. Shaken, Not Stirred

**Update 21- Shaken, Not Stirred**

Harding and Temperance were walking toward the interrogation room together when Harding turned to see the look of raw determination on his partner's face. He could see that she was focused, hard, ready for action, but he couldn't help but wonder how much of this confidence was coming from the other case they were working on. He had called on their way over, and learned that his guys had picked up the suspect at his home along with some evidence that could possibly link him to the crime scenes, and they were searching for more. Though he could practically feel the confidence in the air, he had to stop and make sure she was ready for this, knowing that the man behind that door was not likely to be an easy candidate to keep their cool in front of, he turned without warning, and she nearly smashed into him, she was so concentrated on getting to that door. "Agent Harding?" She said, her voice strong and confident, not nearly as vulnerable as it was the first time they had entered the interrogation room together. She was holding herself together very well, and though just an hour earlier in the cemetery, she looked like she was about to break into a million pieces before him, she was very put together right now. "What is it?" She asked impatiently.

"I was just checking to make sure that you're ready." He said, raising his eyebrows when she gave him an indignant glare. "Don't look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about."

"I can handle this, Agent Harding. I am not a complete social reject, Harding." She said, being sure to give him a pointed look, when his stare into her eyes became a bit too long for her comfort.

"I'm not asking because I don't think you can do this, Doc. I'm just making sure that you know that I'm ready." He said, lifting the corner of his lip in a charming smile that almost got her to respond in kind.

"Do you think he's the guy?" She asked, straightening her posture, she crossed her arms over his chest.

"That… is why we're here…to find the truth."

"That's right." She said, nodding definitively. "The truth." She paused, turning toward the door. "And by the way..." She said as she grabbed the doorknob and turned it. "Stop calling me Doc."

"Sorry about that, Doc." He said, letting out a nervous laugh as he pushed the door, and the two of them entered the interrogation room together.

Temperance Brennan had turned into a completely different person when she stepped into that interrogation room, a claim that she would vehemently deny if the subject had ever come up. The first interrogation with the janitor had been emotional at best, she had lost her cool, and came back into it with style and grace. The interrogation of the boy's father had gone smoothly, she kept quiet and distinguished, and let Harding do all of the talking. But here, now, with the bus driver staring creepily across the table at them, she did not falter for one moment.

Harding listened to her questions carefully, the inability to get a word in edgewise was remarkable as she stood stiffly and angrily, marking each answer that the man gave on a sheet of paper as she worked through the case in her mind, seemingly putting the pieces together in her head as the man spoke.

He denied it, of course, claiming that he had not come to work those days, though the records had shown that he had showed up each of the three mornings of the three victims to pick up the bus he would be driving that day. He claimed he saw nothing out of the ordinary, claimed that he must have been mistaken about the days, simply because he worked all three jobs around the same time, and he alternated with another bus driver frequently. Temperance showed no mercy for the man, and there was one point where Harding was sure that if the man said one wrong thing, she would pounce across the table and beat him to a bloody pulp.

Then he said it, he said the key words that almost made Harding shout out in a celebratory yelp, knowing that they had found their guy, which the evidence was pointing toward. They had found the man who had murdered those children, he just needed confirmation from the lab, and the longer they talked with him, the more he incriminated himself, and he was smarmy, and not prepared, and he never once asked for a lawyer, claiming that he didn't need one, because he did nothing wrong. And then he slipped up.

"Kind of tickles your funny bone, doesn't it?" The man sneered, his question a simple answer to the question of the coincidental nature of the crimes. "To think that this mistake could be made." He said, grinning at the two of them, oblivious to the slip up he had made, his yellow teeth showing as he smiled almost as if he were actually in pain.

Temperance noticed immediately that Harding was on the scent of something. As soon as the man had said that statement, he sat up in his chair and his eyes turned from brown to nearly black. He had been giving her the floor for the most part, letting her vent her anger and frustration over the case toward this suspect who appeared to believe he was smarter than the people who were hunting him. She hadn't caught the phrase, the meaning behind it, but Harding did, he knew.

"Do you think this is a joke, Mr. Falcone?" He asked, standing up angrily. "Do you think this is something that can be laughed about?" He asked. He grabbed the file from in front of Temperance and flung the three pictures out of the folder in front of the killer. He didn't even flinch. "These were someone's children!" He exclaimed. "These were three innocent children who trusted you! Trusted you to take care of them, to make sure they got to school alright, and you sit here with your goddamned grin, and your cold, emotionless eyes, and you tell us that you find something funny?"

"Not funny… humorous…" He said, letting out a cackling laugh that made Harding want to strangle the man.

"So you think that it was funny to kidnap those children? You think it was funny to strangle them, mutilate their bodies? You think it's funny that their parents went home every night hoping, wishing, and praying that their child would come home safe and sound? You think that's funny? You think that's funny?!" Harding exclaimed angrily, his face turning red, the vein in his forehead throbbing as he screamed angrily at the man before him, his temper flaring full force, and after a moment, as he stare furiously into the uncaring, soulless eyes of the man across from them, he felt a cool hand on his, and he didn't have to turn to see why she was doing it, she whispered his name softly and he already knew. The cool touch of Temperance's hand was enough to calm him immediately; her support in his anger was enough to recharge him completely as he stared into the suspect's eyes.

"Doctor Brennan… you're a mother, right?" The suspect sneered.

"That is irrelevant, Mr. Falcone." Harding snapped.

"You look like you've given birth, Doctor Brennan…" he said, his creepy yellow tinted smile in her direction as he moved his focus from Harding. "You look… motherly… is it a little girl, a little boy?"

"Hey… focus here." Harding said, snapping his fingers in front of the man, who continued to stare at Temperance's unwavering stare, and sneered at her.

Suddenly, Temperance stood up, and Harding straightened his posture, feeling the anger coming from his partner's side of the table, he could sense that this was not going to be anything less than explosive. He sat down and pushed his chair back, preparing himself for the ride.

"It doesn't matter whether I have a child or not, Mr. Falcone." She said with a monotone voice that sent chills down Harding's spine. "It doesn't matter what is going on in my life… with my family, because I am a human being." She stated angrily. "I have a beating heart, and a brain in my head that helps me to understand right from wrong. I love my child, Mr. Falcone. I love that child with every fiber of my being, and looking into your face makes me want to kill you, it makes me want to just wrap my fingers around your neck and choke the life out of you just like you choked the life out of those children. You're already linked in the crime, Mr. Falcone. You have no alibi; you've been lying to us since we stepped into this room. You have absolutely nothing… nothing, do you understand that? I have science on my side, Mr. Falcone. I have justice, and the truth… and the evidence… the evidence doesn't lie, Mr. Falcone, the evidence never… ever lies. So I suggest that you think really long, and really hard about what you say to us from now on, because I can guarantee you, that Agent Harding here… he'll pause for a few seconds if I jump across this table to strangle the life out of you."

"You can't threaten me." He sneered angrily at Temperance, who replied with a sneer of her own.

"I'm not making a threat, Mr. Falcone. I'm making a promise." She snapped, the angry stare interrupted by the sound of Harding's phone. She turned her head toward him, sitting down, she continued to glare at the suspect.

"Harding." He said into the phone, nodding, he tried not to smile as he thanked the person on the other line.

"You know what, Mr. Falcone… it looks like we're not going to need a full confession after all…"

"What did they find?" Temperance whispered, watching Harding shake his head and sneer at the man across from him.

"He had a stash of kid's shoes in a loose floorboard… three pairs belong to our victims… there's DNA evidence on the shoes… his, and the kid's." He said, watching Temperance's eyes ignite for a moment before she turned her attention back to the suspect. She thought twice before saying anything more and glanced to Harding.

"Good, because if I had to look at this piece of slime any longer, I was going to lose my lunch." She said as she stood up to leave the room, she swung open the door and stalked out of the interrogation room, disappearing into the hallway.

She entered the observation room quickly, taking several deep breaths; she tried to find her concentration as she attempted to erase the vision of the eyes of their suspect from her mind. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, pacing the room like a wild tiger, she heard the door to the observation room open and latch closed as she continued to try to find her strength. She knew who was standing there, anyone else would have left the room as soon as they saw the state she had been, well, almost anyone else would have. She looked up into his eyes and let out the deep breath that she had just taken. "That was…"

"Exhilarating?" He asked a bright grin on his face as he shook his head. "My God, Temperance, you were amazing in there!" He said, watching the darkness in her eyes lighten just a bit, though she was clearly shaken by the entire ordeal. "Are you okay?"

"I… I think I am…"

"We got our guy, Temperance… we got our guy… and wow…just…. You did a fantastic job!" He said with a smile that he just couldn't get rid of.

"Are you surprised?"

"No… no, I knew you had it in you, but wow… you really pack a punch." He said, breathing heavily as they looked through the window and watched a couple of the officers handcuff the suspect and lead him from the room. "So…" He said, glancing to Temperance, who was watching the door in the interrogation room close with a slightly satisfied smile on her face, her eyes moved to Harding.

"So?" She said, her tone almost humored, she watched him send a charming smile in her direction.

"Do you want to celebrate?" He asked, a hopeful look in his eyes as she shook her head, her eyes flashing to the floor before resting on his tie for a moment.

"I probably shouldn't." She said, trying to remain composed in the wake of the interrogation. She was still trembling from the whole ordeal, and wasn't exactly sure how to react.

"You probably shouldn't? Come on, Doc… we'll go out for some drinks… toast good conquering evil, and you can be home before Nightline…"

"I don't know what that means." She said, shaking her head with a slight smile appearing on her lips, she looked at him curiously.

"It doesn't matter what it means… we caught the bad guy… I owe you a drink…"

"You don't owe me a drink."

"Fine then, you owe me a drink." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "Come on, Doc…" He whispered.

"I have… I… Lola is with Ant, and I should… I should probably get home to her…" Temperance mumbled to herself as she weighed her options, the anxiety of what this would mean to her starting to creep up into her heart, she was thinking of her daughter, right?

"Come on, Temperance… just one drink… you can call Antonia on the way, we'll go out for one drink to celebrate, and you can go if you want… what do you say?" He asked, tipping his head. "Please?"

She stared into his eyes for a moment, the innocence that resided there, and she couldn't help but feel a warm, friendly feeling from her friend, her coworker, her… partner. He was proving to her that she could trust him, and all he was asking for was one drink, one drink to celebrate the camaraderie of partners. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, giving him a slight cringe as she gave in. "Fine… fine, I'll go with you… but… only one drink, and I have to call Lola before I go." She said, watching Harding nod his head.

"Naturally… just let me run over to my office and get my things, and we'll be off." He said, smiling brightly as he disappeared out the door.

Temperance stood for a moment, watching the closing door, her hand moving to the St. Christopher medal around her neck, she pressed the pendant between her fingers and sighed, feeling a cool chill run through her body as her eyes passed to the interrogation room. She swallowed hard as she thought about celebrating with someone other than Booth, toasting a case with someone other than him. She felt the lump growing in her throat, and her hand clenched the medal tightly as she took a deep, cleansing breath, and stepped out of the observation room in search of Agent Harding.

"Wow, look at this place," Harding commented as they stepped into the Founding Father's pub, his eyes scanning the dimly lit room. "Very nice," he said, listening as the constant chatter of the other patrons mingled with the clanking of glasses and muted music. He nodded towards a couple of empty barstools. "Should we just sit at the bar, or would you rather get a table?" He raised his eyebrows at her, watching her eyes scan the room as well, a slight sense of melancholy in her movements. He nudged her slightly with his arm, pulling her attention toward him, she gave him a playful glare that he narrowed his eyes at with a knowing glare.

"The bar is fine," Temperance replied with a slight nod.

"After you," Harding said, motioning for her to walk ahead of him.

They slid onto their barstools and Harding motioned for the bartender to tend to them.

"I know I said you owe me, but this one is on me. What are you having?" Harding glanced at Temperance, waiting for her reply.

She smiled slightly. "I'll have a beer."

Harding nodded and turned his attention back to the bartender who was patiently waiting. "Beer for the pretty lady, and I'll have a martini... straight up. Shaken, not stirred. And make it dirty."

"A martini?" Temperance laughed as the bartender began to make their drinks.

"Yes," Harding replied. "What's wrong with that?" He raised an eyebrow at her, and watched her laughter, trying to pretend to be offended by her reaction.

Temperance shrugged, pressing her lips together to suppress another giggle. "Kind of girlie, isn't it?'

"Excuse me? Girlie?" Harding's jaw dropped. "James Bond drinks martinis, Doc. Martinis can be very manly."

The giggle in Temperance's chest finally broke the surface. "Booth used to say... 'if it has a straw or an umbrella, it's a girlie drink... if it comes in a glass with a stem, it's a girlie drink... if it tastes like fruit, it's a girlie drink'."

"Yeah, that sounds like him," Harding agreed with a nod.

The smile slid from Temperance's face at the memory of her friend, her partner. Her eyes left Harding's and focused on the empty space of bar in front of her and a short silence fell between them until a cold mug of beer entered her line of vision. She took a quick breath and mentally shook the memories away as she wrapped her hand around the icy mug.

"Thank you for the drink," she said softly, her eyes once again connecting with her new partner.

"My pleasure, Doc. You can get the next round," Harding teased with a wink in an effort to lighten the mood.

"You know," Temperance began, "most men don't usually let the woman buy the drinks. Boo-" she stopped herself from saying his name again. "It's just very uncommon to me."

"Hey, it's a new age, Doc. Times have changed. I embrace that," he smiled jovially. "Does that make me a rude person?"


	22. Deuce or Die

**Update 22- Deuce or Die**

The giggle that cascaded from her lips was laced with the alcohol that she had been consuming since they had entered the bar that evening. All talk of the case, past partners, and anything that would cause the least amount of strain to Temperance's mood were whisked away with the liquor. She sat on her barstool, her head in her hands as she giggled, Christopher sat beside her laughing out loud at her embarrassment at the last conversation they had just had. "Your cheeks are turning so red right now!" He laughed, his voice was full of humor as he watched the doctor beside him try to cover her giggles. "They are! They're so red right now!" He laughed as she shook her head.

"They wouldn't be so red, if you didn't point out that I was embarrassed!" She exclaimed, giggling a little more as she reached out and smacked his arm, settling back in the chair as she shook her head. "God, Christopher… I can't remember the last time I've laughed so much." She said, rubbing her cheeks a little before leaning forward, crossing her arms over the bar, she shook her head and laughed again.

"I remember the last time I laughed like this…" He nodded, watching her eyes look into his as she gave him a curious tip of her head. "It was when you asked me if you could carry a gun!" He said as he started to laugh, watching her face become very serious suddenly, his laughter drifted off, and suddenly she let out a joyful laugh that pulled his heartstrings. "You're good, for a minute there, I thought you were angry."

"Maybe I am angry…" She shrugged, the bright smile on her face, however told him a different story, her eyes were sparkling at his and though they weren't touching, there was a connection between the two of them.

"You can't be angry at me… come on, I brought you out here, we had some drinks, toasted the close of the case."

"I don't remember toasting…"

"Oh, you're toasted, alright…" He teased, laughing at her jaw dropping, and her hand smacking his arm yet again. "Come on, you deserved that, you did!" He laughed as she shook her head.

"Yeah… you and your girlie drinks, you had two martinis, and that's it. Are you a lightweight or something?" She asked, watching his jaw drop this time as she laughed and shook her head.

"Hey, I said this before, and I'll say it again. James Bond drinks martinis; it's not a girlie drink when he drinks them…" Harding remarked with faux disdain, watching her shake her head with a smile on her face.

"Well…" She said, sipping from her drink and avoiding eye contact. "Who is to say that James Bond himself wasn't gay? All of those gadgets, all of those women…" She said, stealing a glance at him as she sipped her drink again. "I think he was trying to make up for something he was lacking." She said, giggling at his guffaw, she nearly spit her beer as she started to laugh, her eyes watering from laughing so hard, she put the mug down and coughed a little, watching Harding laugh at her reaction. "What time is it?" She asked, her eyes still smiling as Harding looked at his watch.

"A little after twelve." He said, watching her eyes widen in surprise.

"After twelve? Seriously?" She asked, sliding the mug away from her on the bar, she grabbed her purse to find money to pay for her drinks. "I have to go, I told Lola that I'd be home an hour ago…" She said as she looked through her purse.

"Doc, you're not driving anywhere… you're two drinks past your limit, not to mention that jello shot that I dared you to try. You aren't driving."

"Well, how do you expect me to get home, Christopher?" She asked, her tone becoming irritated as she shifted through her purse looking for her wallet.

"I'll drive you home." He nodded.

"You don't have to drive me home." She said, pulling her phone from her purse, she dialed her home number and waited.

"Nonsense, you're practically falling off the barstool, I'll bring you home, pick you up in the morning and bring you to the lab. It's not a problem." He said, watching her brow furrow in concern. "What? What's wrong?"

"Lola's not answering the phone." She said, sighing.

"She probably fell asleep, Doc. Stop worrying so much."

"She always has the phone right near her." She sighed, hanging up, she dialed another number. Harding watched her as she shook her head and sighed. "She's not answering her cell phone either." She said, glancing to Harding. "You can give me a ride home?"

"I'm good to drive, I haven't had anything since my second girlie drink." He winked at her and her smile returned. It was slightly faded, but a smile nonetheless. He'd take what he could get, he decided, and dropped the rest of the tab on the bar, nodded toward the door and helped her to his car.

-------------

The ride toward Temperance's home was in virtual silence as she fretted anxiously about not being able to contact Lola, and he became concerned with her worry. Christopher drove through the streets, if not but a bit quickly to reach his destination, and as soon as he pulled up to the building, she grabbed the handle as if she were almost ready to jump out without waiting for the car to stop. "Hey, wait a second…" He said as he reached his hand across and touched her arm, her eyes flickered to his as she opened the door anyway, despite the hand on hers. "I'll walk you to the door." He said, watching her thinking of resisting, though accepting it with a polite nod. He pulled the key from the ignition and jumped from the car, slamming the door in the process.

By the time he had rounded the car, she had already climbed from within and was swinging her bag onto her shoulder, the door slamming behind her. She smiled anxiously at Harding and walked past him, glancing back as he followed her toward the building. "You don't have to walk me inside, Agent Harding, really, its okay." She said, her voice betraying the anxiety that she was most definitely feeling.

"It's only right, after keeping you out so late." He replied, placing his hand at the small of her back, he ushered her politely into the building. She pulled her keys from her bag, and glanced back at Harding for a moment, unsure if she was looking for strength, or reassurance, she climbed the steps slowly, noting that he was behind her the entire way. As soon as they walked around the corner, Harding noticed the door was open, and instinctively, he stepped in front of Temperance.

"What are you doing?" She asked, noticing too, what he had noticed. "Oh my God…" She whispered as she started to rush toward the door, she was stopped by his arm as he drew his firearm and pushed her lightly back.

"Stay right here, I'm going to go check it out."

"I am not staying right here!" She whispered furiously, her body trembling now, the fear rising up in her chest faster than she had ever imagined, she started to walk past Harding when he grabbed her and pulled her hard behind him. "My daughter is in there!" She exclaimed as she wrenched her arm out of his grasp and started past him, when he pulled her hard and nearly slammed her against the wall.

"I am serious, Temperance. Stay right there… you don't know if someone is still in there." He whispered fiercely to her, watching her eyes darken with frustration, glaring at him as he continued in one continuous movement toward the door, he held his gun to his chest, turned up and prepared as he kicked the door softly, noting immediately the splintered wood, the way the chain lock had literally been ripped from the door. In his head, he was praying. He was praying that they weren't home when this happened, praying that Antonia and her Nanny were alright, a prayer that was ended as soon as he saw the sight before him, his breath catching in his throat.

The house's contents had almost literally been turned upside down, broken objects littered the floor, and Lola, the nanny lie face up on the carpet, the back of her head splattered throughout the room, her body sprinkled with feathers from the pillow that had so obviously been used to muffle the sound of the gunshot to her head. There was brain matter and blood sprinkled through the room, her body lying in an awkward position on the floor, his immediate thought was to tell Temperance not to move. As soon as he turned around, he knew it was too late, she stand in the doorway, her mouth agape in immediate shock as he took action and ran down the hallway. "Temperance, stay there! Antonia!" He shouted, his voice filled with emotion. "Antonia! Are you in here?" He screamed as he slammed open each door on the way down the hallway, "Antonia, it's Ace! Come out, Antonia!" He shouted, looking everywhere for the little girl, hoping she was there, hiding, hoping, praying, wishing, thinking. "Please, God… Antonia!" He screamed as he swung open the little girl's room, and stopped. The room had been ransacked as well, toys and sheets had been tossed around the room, the little glass name plates on the wall had been ripped from the walls, and across the ivory painted wall, in a messy scrawl of blood, were the words.

_'Deuce or Die'_

_------------_

_**We apologize for the graphic nature of the scene, but it is a necessary step in getting to our ultimate goal in this fic. There is plenty of drama ahead, and if you are faint hearted, you may not be prepared. We again apologize, and hope that you bear with us through the remaining chapters. I assure you all, you will not be disappointed. Thank you for your comments!**_


	23. Deuces Wild

**Update 23- Deuces Wild**

It was a little past twelve thirty in the morning when Booth quietly slid the window into Max's apartment open. He paused, listening for any sounds that would indicate that Max had company, and lifted his leg into the apartment. It was silent, when suddenly he heard the sound of Max's voice. Booth stopped immediately, listening, and could tell that he was talking on the phone to someone, the one sided conversation was obvious.

Though the voice was Max's, the tone was something he had never heard before. It was rushed, almost panicking, causing Booth's stomach to wrench, and his pulse to begin to race. He rushed to the doorway leading to the kitchen, where Max was on the phone, and he heard the obvious panic in his voice, raw fear. He swung the door open to the kitchen, and Max's eyes clashed with his own, his eyes bloodshot and filled with terror. "I am coming over right now." Max said into the phone, turning it off, he stared at Booth for several seconds without saying anything.

"Max! What is it?" Booth asked as he watched the man before him stand shocked and totally beside himself. "Max, is it Bones? Is Bones okay?" he exclaimed, approaching Max quickly, he couldn't understand what was going on. Max shook his head, trying to hold himself together as best as he could. "Max, you have to tell me what's going on!" Booth shouted, grabbing his shoulders, he shook him just a bit, and Max finally focused his eyes on Booth.

"I have to go to Tempe." he said suddenly, his eyes filling with tears. "It's Ant, someone took... someone took Antonia!" Max exclaimed.

"Someone took Toni? What do you mean someone took her?" Booth shouted angrily. "Max! Explain to me what happened!"

"They're looking for you, Booth." he said shaking his head. "They're looking for you, and they took my little girl's daughter!" Max screamed as he lifted his fist quickly, and swung it at the younger man, punching him in the jaw. Booth stumbled backwards as Max shook his hand in pain, he stared at the younger man. "You are the reason this has happened! This is your fault!" Max exclaimed, preparing to attack again, though breathed from the first assault.

"How do you know they're looking for me? Was that Ace? What did he say, Max? You have to tell me what he said!" Booth said, stepping closer to Max, he held his jaw as he was tempted to grab the man by the arms. His mind spinning, his heart pounding in his ears as he finally couldn't take it anymore and he grabbed Max, pushing him backwards he slammed him into the wall as he held him in place, staring into his eyes. He was a wild man, his eyes deepened, his pupils dilated, his teeth bared in an angry growl. "What did he say, Max!" Booth screamed.

"Lola." Max managed to say, his eyes on Booth's, less angry, but more terrified. "Lola, they killed her...my god, she has a family! They killed her, and they took Antonia! I already told you!"

"And what else, Max?"

"There was a message... a message for you, they want you, Booth! They want you, or they're going to kill Antonia... they're going to kill my little girl..."

"Did they use my name?" he asked, his eyes still wild with anger as he held the older man against the wall.

"No. They call you Deuce... just like Ant, they call you Deuce. Harding is with Tempe, she won't move, she won't talk... she is in shock, Booth! I need to go to her! I need to go to my daughter!"

Booth took a step back, absorbing all of the information as Max stated it, he knew what he had to do, and he needed to do it quickly. He released his hold on the older man, and the two of them stared for several moments. "I need a gun." Booth said as he looked around the room.

"I don't have a gun, Booth."

"That's bullshit, Max. You're a goddamned ex-con, and you're saying that you don't have a gun in this apartment for self defense?"

Max stared at Booth for another second and his eyes flashed to the corner. "In the closet... top shelf, there's a locked box. The key is in the drawer in the kitchen." He said as he moved through the house quickly, through the kitchen, he swung open a drawer and pulled a key out. He turned to see Booth standing in the doorway, he tossed the key in his direction and watched the younger man disappear out of the door.

When he entered the living room, Booth was holding a gun in his hand, loading it quickly, he glanced to Max as he ensured the safety was on. "I thought you were watching her, Booth. I thought you were protecting your family, where the hell were you?" Max spat angrily as he watched Booth ignore his question and shove the gun into his pocket.

He walked over to Max and handed him the box, within it sat another pistol, of the same caliber as the one that Booth held, and a cartridge of bullets. "Harding could lose his badge over this, Max. Take this with you when you go to Bones, give it to Harding." he said, pulling an Ace of Hearts from his pocket, he dropped it into the box. "And no matter what happens, Max... do not, under any circumstances tell Bones that I am alive, or I am to blame for this. I will get Antonia back alive and safe."

"What are you going to do, Booth? Sacrifice yourself for your daughter?"

"Wouldn't you?" Booth asked, running quickly, he swung from the room out the window, and down the fire escape before Max had a second to even think of replying.

-------------

Harding stood over the body of the nanny, his stomach was churning with the sight before him, he had called the paramedics and the police, and stopped himself just short of calling the FBI. He knew that if he made the phone call to the FBI, that it was quite possibly the end of his career. Max was on his way, and Temperance's friends and coworkers had not been informed of the situation, but he knew that it wouldn't take long for the news to circulate to them, because deep down inside, he knew that he had to make that phone call.

They were going to need specialists, kidnapping experts, moderators, crime scene experts. They were going to need someone who knew what to do when the mother of the kidnapped child was lying in the middle of her child's floor grasping the toy elephant that her daughter cherished, torn and tattered from an assault that she could not fathom, as the only thing she had was ripped from her grasp. He dialed the number and waited, he felt a chill run down his spine when his boss answered the phone, half asleep and angry.

The conversation didn't take long, and it was evident that he was to stay exactly where he was. He was nearly trembling in fear as he tried to keep calm under the circumstances. Temperance sat rocking on the floor of her daughter's bedroom, unable to form a word, a sentence, unable to open her eyes and Harding was breaking inside as he thought of what had brought all of this on. He couldn't tell her that Booth was alive, it would not just break her heart, it would most likely kill her at this point. The knowledge that he had been so close for so long, and now the only link she had to him was missing.

He wanted to hold her, if only to comfort himself, for he knew that any warmth that he could offer would not be a consolation, it would be pity, and she did not need to be pitied. She needed her daughter.

And like a wave, the sound of sirens filled the air, and the door was being pounded on as a whirlwind of police, FBI and medics flooded the building and the apartment with cameras and questions, and boots pounding into the hardwood floors as they collected evidence.

Suddenly, the voice of a man could be heard over all of the other voices, and Harding knew that it was Max. He had only talked to him once, on the phone the minute they had concluded that Antonia was missing, the second that Temperance had dropped to her knees and gripped the tiny gray elephant in her hands as she began to rock back and forth, asking 'Why?' in a whispered tone. He knew why, and he only wished that he could tell her.

Max pushed his way through the crowd of people that were taking evidence and asking questions. He held a box in his hands, his eyes filled with worry as he walked up to Harding and held out his hand. Harding shook it hard, his eyes focused on Max's as a feeling of understanding passed between the two of them. "Agent Harding…" Max said gruffly, his eyes focused on the man in front of him as he allowed his eyes to flash toward the hallway, where Temperance was being tended to by EMTs.

"She's in Antonia's bedroom." He managed to whisper, the grip of the man's hand on his was tight and firm, and his eyes were cold and yet still full of fear. He could tell where Temperance had gotten her intensity.

"I brought this for you." Max whispered as he held up a metal box, he opened it quickly, showing the weapon within, the card on top of the weapon an indication of where it had come from. Harding nodded his head. "He already left to find them." Max whispered. "He said you might need this… he said that you are not to tell her."

"I understand that." Harding nodded.

"He's going to get himself killed if we don't find them first." Max said, his eyes burning into Harding's as the box exchanged hands. "I need both of them to come out of this alive." He whispered fiercely. "Both of them."

"That is my intention, sir." Harding nodded, his attention suddenly interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice from the doorway. "Go to Temperance." He said, nodding toward the door. "She won't let anyone talk to her, I need to… I have some things I have to deal with, and… we will find her, sir. We will find her."

Max stared into his eyes for a long second, as he turned and walked down the hallway toward Antonia's bedroom, the scene around him a blur as he hurried to his daughter's side.

------------------

The air burned in his chest as his feet pounded into the pavement. He had only one destination, and he didn't care about the wear on his body as he rounded the corner. His eyes were wild and void of all emotion, his heart pounded angrily in his chest as he dropped a card, slamming his fist into the door of the bar, swinging it open loosely.

It was nearly two in the morning, so the bar was almost empty, but for the bartender, whose eyes widened at the sight of the man who stepped through the door. "Where is she?" He exclaimed angrily, not stopping, not pausing, he walked directly toward the bartender with an anger so fierce, that the heat from his anger was almost visible. "Where is she, you fucking miserable piece of slime!?" He exclaimed as he jumped over the bar in one leap, and approached the bartender.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" The bartender exclaimed, his Hispanic accent was thick, and the fear in his eyes was genuine.

"Where is my little girl? Where did you take her? Where is Antonia!" He exclaimed, uncaring of the life in front of him, he pulled the gun from his pocket, slammed the man against the bottles behind the bar and held him down as he put the gun against the man's head. "Tell me where she is! Tell me where she is, or I'll blow your fucking brains out!" He screamed, his hand choking the man as he slammed his head into the wall behind him, throttling him, gagging him with the gun down his throat, he pulled the weapon from his mouth and waited. "Tell me where she is, or I will kill you without a second thought!" He screamed.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I don't know what you're talking about!" The man hissed in a panic, and the sudden stench of urine was an obvious indication that he wasn't lying.

"I know you know something! You work for him! You know something, and I want you to tell me now! If you won't tell me where she is, tell me where HE is… I'll fucking take care of him!" Booth screamed, pushing the man harder against the wall. "Tell me where he is, NOW!" He screamed, clicking the safety off the gun, Booth suddenly felt something cool at his neck.

"And who… Deuce…" The voice slipped from the lips of the man behind him, the man holding the gun to his head as he gripped the man in his hands so tightly, his knuckles were turning white. "Who are you looking for?" He said, his face now close to Booth's head, he could feel the sickly breath of the man behind him. "Maybe I can help." He spat. Booth heard the click of the gun that was pointed at his neck, and in a split second, everything went black.


	24. Filtered Moonlight

**Update 24- Filtered Moonlight**

2:45 AM-

Temperance held her father tightly, her body was trembling violently as she gripped Max with all of her strength, burying her face in his body. "She doesn't know anything." Max said with a growl.

"Does she have any enemies? Anyone who had threatened her?"

"She puts murderers away for the rest of their lives, Agent Radford, of course she has enemies. Would you please just give us a minute?" Max demanded, his glare full of contempt and anger as the agent rolled his eyes and walked away from the two of them, continuing their investigation of the scene.

"We need to get the blood on the wall analyzed… see if it's the victim in the living room, or someone else's." The tech said to the agent, who gave him a warning glare, nodding toward the sobbing woman on the floor.

Temperance was crying, she was trembling and frightened, but she still had her wits about her. She cried into her father's shoulder, wracking her brain about what this could possibly be about. Who would harm her daughter? Who would take her baby? How could this happen? What did the message on the wall mean? She could hear stern words being exchanged in the next room, a voice she didn't recognize, but one of definite authority. Then she heard his voice, a response to the stern voice, Harding. "Christopher." She said, looking up at her father. "Where is Christopher? I need to… Maybe he knows something… maybe he knows who they're looking for, who has my baby." She said as she reached out for the door, she pointed in the direction of Harding's voice. "Dad, get him… get Christopher."

"He'll be in, he's talking to someone right now."

"I want him now! He might know something!" She screamed angrily, even though she knew that panicking should be the last thing she should do.

"Know something about what? Do you know what this is about, Temperance?" Max asked, pretending he didn't know what it was about. He was unsure about what she knew.

"Christopher!" She called, trying to pull from her father, she stood up, leaving Max on the floor as she crossed the room. She grabbed the door handle just as it opened, and Harding stepped inside. She could see the sorrow in his eyes, and for once, someone wasn't wearing sympathy on their face like a mask. His eyes were filled with determination. "You know what this means." She whispered, seeing the fear flicker in his eyes. "You know what this means, it's about Booth, isn't it?" She whispered.

"Deuce is… my source."

"Deuce is your source?" Temperance asked, taken aback by his confession, her eyes showed her shock. "Deuce is your source… and my daughter was kidnapped… and they want him…" She said, her voice wavering, her eyes watering while she shook her head. "I trusted you!" She screamed suddenly, her hand swinging up to slap him across the face. He took the slap as if he deserved it, his eyes staring into Temperance's.

"We will find her, Temperance. We're close."

"You will do nothing!" She exclaimed angrily. "You are the reason this happened! You are the reason that she's gone!" Temperance screamed. "If you hadn't put your nose in where it didn't belong, this would never have happened! If I didn't go for drinks tonight with you, I would have been home! I would have been able to stop them, I would have been…"

"You would have been the one with the bullet in your head, Temperance!" Harding exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders. "You would have been the one lying on the floor dead… these men are ruthless, Temperance. They're dangerous…"

"And that is supposed to make me feel better?" She asked angrily, tears flowing freely as Max stepped behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "They have my baby…" She said suddenly, turning around in her father's embrace, he held her against her, rubbing his hands across her back as Max and Harding stared at one another for several moments, trying to figure out how they were going to handle this, how they were going to find the man who was responsible for this, and save the life of the little girl who had nothing to do with any of it.

--------------

3:00 AM-

His head was pounding. That was the first conscious thought he had as he suddenly felt a sharp kick in his ribs. "He's waking up, boss!" A voice shouted loudly from above him as he felt another kick in the ribs. "He's waking up."

"Good." Another voice spat, a familiar voice.

Booth tried desperately to remember why he was here, wherever he was. What had brought him here? His head was pounding. He wanted to reach his hands up, hold his head, but found his hands bound. Antonia. His mind screamed. His eyes opened wide, finding himself staring into the eyes of the man who had done this, the man who had taken his little girl. "Where is my daughter?" He grunted angrily, the taste of blood in his mouth, and another sharp shot of pain as the man lifted his foot and connected it with his ribs. "Ah!" He grunted in pain as he rolled onto his back, his hands. "Fucking… God…" He growled as he struggled against the restraints.

"God?" The man laughed above him. "God isn't going to help you, Deuce… God is going to be the last thing that you're thinking about before I take care of you…"

"You got me!" He exclaimed. "You got me now, let her go! Bring her back to her mother! You have me, I'm what you wanted! Just give her back to her mother!" He exclaimed. His throat was raw and dry, his eyes still filled with the hatred that he felt for this man. "Where is she?" He exclaimed with his voice strained. "Where is Antonia?"

"Don't you worry, Deuce, she's fine… though she is quite the screamer." He laughed as Booth started to struggle harder. "Don't worry… you'll be seeing her soon enough." He said as he swung the gun in his hand around on his forefinger.

Booth looked around the room, noting that it appeared that they were in the back room of the bar. They had bound him and dragged him into here. He looked around to see if there was anything he could do, any implement he could use to strike the man above him, any type of escape he could make, finding nothing. "You already have me… let her go…"

"What would be the fun of that?" Snake Eyes said angrily as he swung the gun around in his hand once more. "Alright guys… put the blindfold on him… we're going for a ride." He said, swinging his foot one more time, allowing it to land in the middle of Booth's stomach, he laughed viciously at the pain filled grunt that echoed through the room, as he turned away from Booth and walked out of the room.

----------

3:30 AM-

Evidence had been collected, and Lola's body had been documented and removed from the crime scene. Max sat on Antonia's bed, holding Temperance in his arms securely as she began to cry again, after answering a few questions. Harding had been directing everyone, talking to everyone and giving them all the details that he was willing to give to the FBI, knowing full well that he was towing a very thin line.

His boss had interrogated him the moment he had stepped into the room. He wanted to know what this had to do with Seeley Booth, and how he knew. They tried to remain quiet, the confidential nature of the conversation was severely compromised by the number of eyes and ears in the room, but he had made it very clear to Harding that he was not to pursue anything more in the case, and that he needed to leave the kidnapping of Dr. Brennan's daughter to the FBI task force, and to step away from the case completely. He had insisted that he was close to the investigation, but never once insinuated that Temperance knew anything about the folders, or the fact that he had reopened the case. He was told that if there were any more issues regarding the case, or if he had interfered, that it would be considered insubordination, and that he would be suspended from field duties until his actions could be reviewed, his badge and gun taken away.

He held the box that Max had given him tightly in his grip, knowing that the possibility that he would need that spare gun was very likely, especially since he was not willing to let the FBI be the only ones to work on this case. There were too many people who could have been involved in the plot, too many eyes and ears to know who planted that bomb on the plane. Yes, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was very corruptible, and he was not willing to put that little girl's life in any more danger than it already was.

He looked up as Max entered the room, his eyes filled with sorrow that could not be described. "I am going to try to get her friends from the Jeffersonian here… she's going to need all of the people that she can get in order to get through this." He whispered.

"Tell them to bring their kits…" Harding nodded. "We're going to use all of the resources that we have in this." He said, watching Max as he nodded. He glanced toward the bedroom, and back to Max. "I'm going to go sit with her." He whispered, turning toward the bedroom, he stepped inside, where Temperance sat on the bed. She looked so small, her feet pulled up , her head staring down at the object in her hands.

Quietly, he sat beside her, instinctively putting a supportive arm around her shoulder, he felt her resist for a second, before allowing him to pull her into him. Her fingertips ran over the tattered fur of the little gray elephant, his stuffing poking out from the holes that had been pushed into its cotton skin, one of the little black eyes missing as if it had been literally torn from the little girl's hands. Temperance stared at that elephant and in her head she prayed, something she rarely ever did, when she heard the rumbling voice above her.

"There were some witnesses who saw a car…" He whispered. "We have some leads…" He said, expecting her to start crying, but instead, she began to talk.

"Deuce." She whispered.

"I'm sorry?" He whispered.

"That is his name." She whispered, holding the toy out a little farther, the pink and purple lipstick marks still evident on the elephant's remaining eye. "Antonia named him Deuce… that's just… such a strange coincidence, don't you think?" She asked, rubbing her fingers across the soft gray fur, she tipped her head and looked at him, her lip trembling as she tried desperately not to cry.

"I don't understand." Harding whispered, the confusion in his eyes was fabricated, but it seemed to calm her. She moved her eyes back to the elephant and stared quietly for several moments, seemingly lost in her own memories.

_----_

_Moonlight filtered in through the sheer curtains on the nearby window, creating a sliver of silver-blue light that snaked its way across the right side of the tiny pink face that Temperance could not take her eyes away from. All bundled up in a soft-as-a-feather yellow blanket, she cuddled her daughter close to her chest, her tiny right hand grasping onto Temperance's finger; a connection that ran much deeper than just the simple touch of her smooth baby's skin. Humming absentmindedly, Temperance smile softly and then touched her lips to Antonia's forehead, giggling softly as her daughter yawned and then settled deeper within her arms._

_Temperance wasn't certain of the length of time she had been sitting in the rocking chair, her legs barely moving them together in a back and forth motion, but she figured it had been long enough when her eyes started to close of their own accord. She found herself slipping in and out of consciousness and knew that she needed to get some rest of her own. Reluctantly, she slowly stood from the rocking chair and crossed the room to Antonia's baby bed. She gently put her down onto the mattress, making sure she was still covered by the blanket, and then she tiptoed out of the room, making her way to her own bedroom and turning on the baby monitor before slipping beneath her covers and turning out the bedside lamp._

_She was asleep in no time... quite possibly the minute her head hit the pillow. And as she drifted into dreamland, she could hear herself humming the same lullaby she had hummed to Antonia. Visions of her baby's face danced in her mind; her soft smile as she slept, her tiny baby yawn, her eyelids fluttering. Her body felt protected in a warm cocoon of love, and motherhood, and a sense of family. The lullaby still played in her mind; soft, sweet, and melodic, until her voice faded out and another took its place._

_The new voice was soft like hers, but different somehow. Melodic, slower, yet deeper than hers had been. A whisper, light, longing, and very familiar, carried over the humming. It was a whisper of love and promise. And then the humming resumed. She knew this voice. She knew it without a doubt, even within her dream laden mind. It was Booth's voice._

_The sudden thought of Booth instantly woke her. Her mind was suddenly clear as she sat up and turned on her bedside lamp. She glanced at the baby monitor, her eyes catching the lights just as the red dots began to fade, signaling that there was noise fading out. Curious, and a bit breathless for reasons she did not know, she pulled the covers back and left her room, padding quietly toward the nursery. She stepped into Antonia's room and stopped. Something felt different. Like there was a presence there that wasn't there before, when she had been rocking her daughter to sleep in the rocking chair nestled in the corner of the room. She scanned the room with her eyes, focusing on the shadows framing the moonlight, and then she approached the baby bed._

_She breathed a small sigh of relief when she peered down into the bed to see Antonia still sleeping just as peacefully as she had left her. What she thought she'd find upon entering, she did not know. She only knew that something had shifted. And for some reason, she didn't really feel afraid of anything. She only felt.... aware. Chalking it up to her silly dreams, she shook her head to herself and ran her fingertip across Antonia's plump little cheek. And suddenly all she could see in her mind was Booth. His face, his smile, his eyes. She was certain it was him who had been humming and whispering in her dreams. And though she didn't believe in ghosts, or the afterlife, or heaven, or angels, she felt as though he were watching her in this moment. And that brought her comfort._

_Sighing, she reached for one of the stuffed animals nestled in the far corner of the baby bed. She paused when she saw a little gray elephant that she hadn't noticed before. She picked it up, ran her fingers over the soft material, and then placed it next to Antonia before leaving the nursery to go back to bed._

----

"I don't even know where he came from." Temperance whispered, bringing the toy to her nose, she breathed in a slow, deep breath as she tipped into Harding's embrace. "You need to find my baby girl." She whimpered against him. "She's all that I have of…" Her breath caught as she sniffled, burying her head farther into him. "She's all that I have."


	25. Exactly What He Wanted

**Update 25- Exactly What He Wanted  
**  
4:00 AM-

Temperance continued to sit on the bed, Harding's arms still wrapped around her securely as her crying had slowly stopped. So now, motionless and at a loss for anything, he could only continue to hold her, without any idea of how to proceed from here. Harding looked up as Max walked into the room slowly, his eyes catching the young Agent's eyes as he took a slow, deep breath. "You have visitors, Temperance." He said softly.

"Visitors?" She asked, looking up at Harding, her eyes moved to her father, who she hadn't even noticed had walked into the room. "No… no visitors." She said as she started to stand up. "It will disrupt the crime scene, we can't disrupt the crime scene, we have to figure out who this Deuce person is… we have to go find him… we have to find him and tell him that Antonia's gone and they're looking for him!" She exclaimed.

"He already knows." Max said softly as he approached her, her eyes widening when her father spoke, her jaw dropped.

"You know this man?" She asked, her voice shaking as she pointed toward the wall, and the words that had been scrawled across from it, her eyes not being able to looking at it, her heart in her throat suddenly as she shook her head. "You know the man responsible for this?"

"He's not responsible for this, Temperance." Christopher said as he stood up. "He was trying to protect you. He's been trying to protect you since Booth died. We have to trust him; we have to trust that…"

"He will get her back alive." Max finished. He watched the hurt in his daughter's eyes.

"How do you know him? How do you know him, Dad?" She asked, her voice becoming stronger as she walked up to her father, confronting him angrily. "How do you know this man?"

"He came to me for help, Tempe. He knew that these guys were getting close, so he came to me for help. He's a good man, Tempe. He's a very good man, and you have to trust that."

"Trust that? I have to trust that? I trusted you to take care of my daughter, and you brought this man into our life? You let him into your home while your granddaughter was there? How dare you tell me to trust someone who has put my daughter in harm's way! How dare you ask me to trust you?" Temperance screamed. "I don't trust anyone!" She exclaimed. "I don't trust you!" She pointed at her father, and turned toward Harding. "And there is no way in hell that I will ever trust you!" She shouted angrily at Harding as she turned and stomped from the room, slamming the door behind her.

She was angrily walking toward the door, her complete focus on the open doorway, when she realized who the 'visitors' were that Harding had mentioned. "Sweetie!" Angela exclaimed as she grabbed her friend mid stride, pulling her into a supportive hug, she was nearly pulled across the room as Temperance stopped her tirade and immediately melted into her friend's arms. "Your dad told us what happened…" She whispered as Temperance just continued to hug her, as Hodgins stood to the side, his eyes on Angela's as he gave her a concerned look. "We're going to find her, sweetie… don't you worry, we're going to find her." Angela said, pulling her friend from the hug, she stared into Temperance's eyes. "We're going to find her."

"I…" Temperance whimpered, though the anger in her eyes was still evident, she shook her head as she stared into Angela's eyes.

"Hodgins brought his kit, he's going to get some samples… we're going to find out where these guys came from, and we're going to get Antonia back alive." She said with a nod, looking up at the two men who emerged from the bedroom. Harding looked exhausted, his eyes bore the look of someone who was at the end of their rope, and Max looked no better. "Do we know anything?" Angela asked, looking at Temperance, and back to Harding and Max.

"Ask them." She said coldly, as she pulled away from her friend's embrace. Her eyes flicked between her friend, and Harding, when she suddenly made a decision. "I'm going to go find her." She said definitively, as she turned and walked swiftly out of the doorway and down the hall toward the stairs.

"Temperance!" Harding exclaimed. "Temperance, wait!" He shouted, running after her out the door. He disappeared around the corner, as Angela looked to Hodgins, and they both looked to Max. Hodgins nodded quietly, kneeling on the floor beside where the body had been found and began to collect samples, as Angela looked into the sad eyes of Max, and quickly and without warning, she stepped forward and embraced him in a hug of sadness and solidarity.

---------------

Harding made it to the bottom of the stairs as Temperance burst through the door into the cool air of the outdoors. She was breathing heavily from the physical exertion, mixed with the fear and anxiety that was threatening to destroy her. As soon as the cool air slammed into her lungs, she took a deep breath and looked right and left down the street.

Harding burst out of the door, immediately noticing the confusion on her face, he was fairly sure he knew what she was thinking. "Where is my car?" She exclaimed angrily. "Where is my car, I need to go!" She exclaimed.

"Temperance, you need to stop."

"Where is my car?" She screamed, stomping toward Harding, she pushed him hard. "Where the hell is my car?"

"I drove you home." He said simply, watching the anger rise in her once again.

"That's right! That's right, you drove me home… because you took me out to that stupid bar! You took me out, and you got me drunk… and you made me… you made me act like I had no responsibilities, like I didn't have a child at home that I should have been getting ready for bed, and reading a story to! No! You made me go to that stupid bar!"

"I didn't make you do anything, Temperance." He said calmly. "You needed it. You needed to get out and do something. We were celebrating." He said, watching the anger in her eyes flicker. His voice was calm, not condescending, trying desperately not to send her into an angrier tirade. He watched her carefully as she reacted.

"I should have been home with my daughter, Christopher! I don't care if I ended up dead on the floor! At least I could have done something! Lola has three children! Three babies that don't have a mother anymore because I was out celebrating! I don't care if I was the one dead on the floor! I don't care! I would have been able to save her! I would have been able to…" She said, hot tears rolling angrily down her cheeks.

"Try…." He whispered, stepping forward, he pulled her into his embrace, his strong arms tightening around her as she sobbed into his shoulder. "At least you could have tried, I know…" He whispered. "We're going to find her, Temperance." He whispered, his fingers running soothingly through her hair as he glanced toward the door. "Why don't you go in, spend some time with Angela. The police and FBI are canvassing the area, we're looking for her." He whispered.

"What are you going to do?" She whispered, staring him in directly into his eyes, her tears forcing her blue eyes to lighten tremendously. She appeared to be only slightly vulnerable, for the determination and anger never left her face through the tears. He sighed softly.

"I'm going to be the first one to find her." He whispered. "I'm going to find her for you and for Deuce…"

"Why does Deuce care so much about me?" She whispered the question softly, that he almost didn't hear it.

"He made a promise to someone that he would protect you from the men who killed Booth. He made a promise, and he is a very strong, and very noble man, Temperance." He whispered. "Go up with Angela… maybe Hodgins can find some clues that will lead us to where they're keeping her."

"No." She said plainly, her eyes darkening as the tears seem to disappear immediately. "I'm going with you."

"Temperance, it's dangerous. You're better off staying with your friends, so that we can find her, so that we can…"

"I'm not asking, Harding. I'm telling you. I'm going with you." She said, her face showing no signs of giving in. "I am not going to sit up in my house like a stereotypical battered housewife. I'm not weak, Harding. If you're going to be the one to find my little girl, I'm going to be the one there with you."

"Temperance."

"I'm serious, Christopher." She said, grabbing the front of his shirt, she watched his eyes focus on hers, and remain that way for several seconds. Showing him that there was absolutely no way that she was backing down, there was no way that he was going to get around this. She was going to be beside him every step of the way. "We're partners." She growled. "I am not giving in to this! If you want to be my partner, you're going to have to treat me like I am your partner! I will be there when you find my daughter!" She exclaimed.

He paused, watching the fear in her eyes slowly disappear into determination. She was building a wall around her heart again, she was building it strong on the foundation of her love for her daughter, for her daughter's father. "You can't get in my way, Temperance." He whispered.

"Don't insult me." She shook her head.

"I'm serious, Temperance. If I tell you to stay, you need to stay. I will not put you in harm's way."

"I know how to listen, Harding."

"I understand that you 'know how' to listen, but you have to actually do it in order for it to be effective." He replied.

"Stop wasting time, and let's go!" She exclaimed watching Harding pause for a moment, his eyes flashing to the door of the apartment and back to Temperance.

"Fine, but let me go get one thing before we go." He said, looking at her for a moment as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out his keys and gave her a pointed look. "Get in the car, and don't go anywhere." He said, tossing the keys in her direction, she let out an exaggerated scoff, as he turned toward the building and ran up the stairs.

She waited for him, instead of getting into the car, and when he emerged from the building, he was holding a metal box in his hands. He walked to her and handed it over to her. "You are not to use this unless absolutely necessary." He said as he grabbed the keys from her hand and walked around the car.

She looked at the box awkwardly as she walked toward the car, opening it slowly, she gasped at the contents. "Are you serious?" She asked, seeing the gun within the box, she opened the door and climbed into the car, noting the serious look on Harding's face.

"You don't go into a gun battle without a gun, Temperance." He said, turning the car on. "These men are very dangerous, and as long as you don't shoot me with that gun, I am not above letting you have it for protection."

"So you trust me?" She asked, her voice soft and full of question as he nodded toward the box.

"What do you think?" He whispered, watching her nod her head and lean over, gently sliding the box under the seat of the car for safe keeping, as Harding drove silently.

"I want to trust you." She whispered softly, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to remain strong for her daughter.

----------------  
He let out a guttural grunt as he was pushed from the car. Blindfolded and his hands tied behind his back, the blow to his side was sharp and painful, and he tumbled onto the sidewalk unceremoniously. "Son of a…" Booth grunted.

"What's wrong, Deucey? Can't handle a little roughness? We're only getting started!" Snake eyes spat as he climbed from the car and walked around it. "Get him into the building before someone sees him lying here pathetically!" He shouted at one of his men, who grabbed Booth's arm and wrenched him into a standing position.

"Hey, watch it!" Booth exclaimed loudly, feeling the fingernails of his assailant digging into his skin as he moved blindly along with him, holding his strength back, holding his anger inside. He knew that if he made one wrong move, he'd be dead, and he still hadn't made it to his goal, he still hadn't made it to Antonia. The man who was gripping him muttered something in Spanish, and pushed Booth forward as he listened to the door opening. He heard the sound of water dripping, and the air smelled of must and death. Everything was dark, if not just for the blindfold, but the place that he was being dragged into was damp and dark, and from the length of the car ride, they weren't far from the city.

He could hear cars from a highway, smell the sickening smell of something almost familiar to him. He had been in a place like this before, a long time ago. A murder investigation? He was suddenly thrown to the floor, his face skidding across the filthy cement, air pushing out of his lungs as he grunted. "Where is Antonia?" He exclaimed suddenly, knowing that they had to have brought her here. He said that he would see her, and he wanted to pray that it wasn't in death, but his thoughts wouldn't even bring that possibility up. He knew he'd see her, he needed to see her, hear her, hold her. They wouldn't murder an innocent child, would they? He panted as he tried to catch his breath, the taste of blood in his mouth was mixed with the taste of the dirt from the floor as he had slammed his face against it.

"Antonia?" Snake eyes said with a disdain filled hiss, his voice was higher than his brother's, but clearly dominant among the three other men that he had encountered so far. "What a pretty name for such a pretty girl…"

"Shut the fuck up!" Booth shouted, promptly receiving a kick into his ribs that sent him rolling onto his back, his body arched from his hands being tied behind him, he winced as he felt a hand coming at him, grabbing at the blindfold, he was staring into the eyes of his assailants. Blurry with tears of anger and pain, he stared angrily at the man. "I want to see her!" Booth exclaimed as he gritted his teeth against the pain.

"Oh, don't you worry… she's over there… in one of our little meat lockers…" He said with a snarky grin. "She's cold, Deuce… so cold…"

"You son of a fucking bitch!" Booth screamed as he struggled, only to have a foot pressed against his chest, and the man hang over him closer. "She's just a little girl! She's a little girl for God's sake! Let her go! You have me! You have me! Let her go!" He screamed as they opened the door of the locker that was about thirty feet away from the open area where they had tossed Booth. His eyes flashed over to the corner as a man stepped into the room. Suddenly, the air was pierced with the ungodly sound of a screaming cry. "Don't hurt her!" Booth shouted as he watched the man carrying something from the room, wrapped in a blanket, moving viciously. "Just let her go!" He exclaimed as he struggled against the man's foot, watching as the man lifted the wiggling mass of blankets to the ground, grabbing the tied hands as she struggled. "Antonia…. Antonia!" Booth shouted. "Toni!" He shouted.

"Deuce!" She screamed through the blanket. "DEUCE! SAVE ME! DEUCE!" She sobbed against the blanket as she swung her body back and landed on her back, fighting violently against the hold that the man had on her.

"Antonia… stop struggling… stop… stop… baby, please stop, you're going to hurt yourself."

"I want mommy!" She sobbed. "Let me go!"

"What the fuck are you doing?" Booth exclaimed, staring up at Snake eyes as his eyes went back to the struggling little girl, who had stopped pushing so hard, but was still crying, frightened, her breathing labored and her voice full of terror induced sobs.

"Don't worry…" He said as he laughed. "The freezer isn't on… we don't have any power here, you know? But that would be a great torture, wouldn't it? We could toss some water on them, throw them in the freezer… watch through the little window as they freeze to death."

Booth wanted to tell the man he was sick, that he was demented and a waste of breath and space, but he kept his opinions to himself, he kept his thoughts to himself. That little girl was all he wanted right now. He needed to hold her, he needed to see her face.

"Had you going there, didn't I…" He laughed a sickening laugh. "Here's the plan, Deuce…" He said angrily as he paced around the man who was lying before him. "We found these…" He said, pulling a quarter deck of cards from his own pocket, the heart suit that he had been carrying. "And we kind of assumed you were using these to lead your little former partner to us… you know, before all of this happened… this unfortunate thing…" He chuckled as he leaned down to Antonia and lay a soothing hand on her head.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!" Booth screamed as he lurched forward, his body flying across the floor as he nearly pushed the man over with his own strength, the tiny body in the blanket struggling away from the hold of the other man, her sobs and cries muted against the blanket as she trembled in fear.

"Oh, I don't want to hurt her, Deuce… she's too sweet to hurt… right now… but you see…" he said, standing up, over the man. "I had to sit in that room, while you killed my brother. Don't you remember me? The little boy standing in the corner… I was a bit older than this little girl here, but I was there… and I watched as you lifted that gun and you shot my brother, killing him in cold blood. I remember you, and I remember that little shit kicker of a partner of yours… so… how fitting will it be that he is going to lead himself, and Doctor Temperance Brennan… the mother of your own bastard child… right here… where I can torture them all… beat you in front of them, so they know how I felt… and kill them in front of you… so you can know how I felt when you killed my brother." He said angrily, his eyes filled with nothing but pure hatred. "I'm going to use these…" He said, holding up the cards. "And I'm going to lead them right here… right here to you, right here to me…right here to their deaths…" He said with a smile filled with such a frightening insanity, that Booth felt his stomach clenching, his pulse racing faster.

Snake eyes stood up suddenly, his focus away from the two bound prisoners before him. "Throw them both in the locker!" He shouted as he lifted his foot up to Booth again, kicking him as hard as he could in his ribs. Booth could almost audibly hear the cracking of his ribs at that last sharp blow, and the pain made his vision go white for a moment, as he watched the man lift Antonia from the ground and bring her toward the locker. The next man reached down and grabbed hold of Booth's arms, pulling him to his feet, the pain was excruciating, but Booth showed no sign of weakness, as his assailant pushed him angrily into the dark room, watching him slam his face into the metal wall across from him and fall satisfyingly to the floor, the other man left the sobbing blanket covered girl on the floor, and turned and walked out of the locker. The door slammed shut, bathing them in darkness, but for the small square of light in the door, that gave Booth just a glimmer of hope for survival, which was more than what he had when he first arrived at this horrible place.


	26. Bravery From Within

**Update 26- Bravery From Within**

The car was filled with a tense silence. Harding found his eyes wandering to his passenger more and more during the drive, and finally, she caught him. She didn't turn her gaze from him and he could feel her eyes burning into him, he focused on the windshield. He could feel the cool chill from the ice blue eyes that were on his face. "Where are we going?" She asked. Her voice was no longer vulnerable, it was no longer full of fear, though he could sense that she was just hanging by a thread, a fragile thread, and if he twisted her the wrong way, it would snap and unravel in front of him.

"A bar."

"A bar?" She asked, the hitch in her voice telling him that she wanted more than just that.

"Deuce said its run by this guy."

"Snake Eyes." She replied, shuddering as she remembered the soulless eyes of the man in the picture from the file.

"Yes. I saw him there."

"You went there?" She asked, her eyes now staring more intensely at him, if that were possible.

"I did." He nodded. "I didn't give any indication of who I was, and I don't think he knew who I was."

"You don't think?" She asked, her voice full of disdain, and Harding paused, he was trying to choose his words carefully, and she could see him visibly wince at the harshness in her voice, and tried her best to calm herself.

"If he knew it was me, Temperance, I'm sure he would have done more than just ask me to leave."

"He asked you leave?" She asked. "Why don't you stop playing this word game and just tell me exactly what happened." She said, shaking her head as she gritted her teeth.

"Deuce visited me yesterday morning. He told me that the bar belonged to Snake Eyes. I wanted to find more information, so I went in, and the bartender was a bit harsh, but you could tell just by the way that they acted that the bar was just a cover for something else. I didn't really fit into the neighborhood, or the look of most of their customers, so they acted like I didn't belong, not like they were ready to kill me. Snake Eyes came out from the back room. He asked me to leave, and that was it. He could have done something to me right there if he knew it was me."

"And what if he does know it was you? I mean… I thought he was looking for Deuce… there's no proof that he's even looking for you. He is just trying to get your source." She said seriously, watching Harding nod solemnly.

"Which is why he went after you." Harding replied. "I don't know if they expected to find you there, or not." He replied. "They know that you were connected to Booth, and they know that Deuce has been leaking information about Booth's case. We're going to find her, Temperance." He said softly.

"You can't… know that." She whispered, letting her eyes flick to the window, she felt the car slowing as they turned onto a local street. "There's no way for you to know that they…"

"Temperance." He said, reaching his hand over to her, he grasped her hand tightly in his. "No negativity." He whispered. "We're going to find her, and she's going to be fine." He whispered, pulling the car up toward the bar, he looked out the window as they passed, and lifted his hand from Temperance's, and gritted his teeth. "Shit!" He exclaimed, slamming his fist into the steering wheel as he squealed the tires and pulled from the curb.

"What?" Temperance asked, her anxiety rising in her chest as if it could get any worse, her eyes flashed to the bar that they passed. "Was that the bar? Harding? Was that the bar? Where are you going?"

"Yeah, that's the bar." He said with a nod, making his way down the road, he lifted his hand to the siren, flicking it on.

"I don't understand, you said we're going there, you said that this was…"

"There was a folded card…"

"A folded card? I don't know what that means." She said, watching him for answers.

"A folded face card." He said, glancing to her as he drove quickly through the streets.

"Is it from Deuce?"

"Yes… it indicates that he folds." He said with a nod.

"I still don't know what that means." She said, holding the door handle as he took a sharp curve.

"A fold, in poker… it's to drop your cards… you're out of the game."

"I don't understand, Deuce is out of the game?"

"He went there… he gave himself up…"

"What does that mean for us? What does that mean for Antonia?" She asked, her eyes flashing instinctively behind them.

"It means he's giving himself up for her… he's sacrificed himself… I don't know what this does for them. I do know that once he folds, there will not be any more clues… Folding indicates that any clues we may have missed are null and void, and any clues in the future are either someone else trying to lead us off the scent, or to lure us…"

"So what do we do? He's given himself up, does that mean they return Antonia?"

"That means we need to find her now!" He exclaimed. "We're going back to my office, we have to look through the files again." He said with a nod, he twisted the steering wheel again, sending them careening around another corner as he made his way toward the Hoover Building as quickly as he could.

-----------------

He could see nothing but the white flashes of pain in his head from the abuse he had been subjected to. He could hear her crying, sobbing so angrily, that it was making it more painful than the cracked and possibly broken ribs that he knew he had. He needed to see her, hold her, talk to her. He needed her to stop crying. He needed to stop the fear. "Toni." He said, his voice was weaker than he would have liked, but he needed this. "Antonia, baby." He said, grunting at the pain in his chest with each breath. "Antonia… please… Toni…" He whispered, noting that the pain was a little less when he did this, less strain on his lungs, his ribs. "Toni, please…" Booth said again.

She sobbed harder, her crying turning into hiccups as she mumbled something, lamenting sadly amid the sobs, it was hard to discern anything that she was saying. Booth knew that he couldn't ask her to come to him. He couldn't get her to stop crying, unless he actually physically did something. Weakly, he tried to move, losing his breath in the pain as he stretched himself slightly, his hand still behind his back, he used his feet to slide himself across the floor, closing his eyes as he raked his body across the dirty floor, the smell of metal, blood, and must filling his nostrils as he tried to push himself across the floor on his back, knowing that what he needed to do was roll, but he also knew he couldn't do that. The risk was too high for him to pierce a lung with a broken shard of rib. "Toni… Toni, Deuce is here now, baby…" He whispered as he found that one turn, and he could be against her.

He grunted as he rolled onto his side, feeling the wool blanket against his cheek, he could feel her moving beneath it. Her hands were tied, he knew that much, and she was barefoot, her tiny feet having been hanging from the blanket when they brought her out of the freezer. She was probably so cold, and so scared, he could only imagine. He was scared. "Baby…" He whispered, hearing her sobbing loudly, he knew she was facing him, her body curled in a ball. "Toni…" He whispered again. He leaned up with his mouth and grabbed hold of the blanket with his teeth. "Toni…" He whispered, pulling it again, slowly, her face was almost visible with the dim light from the tiny square window in the door. "Baby, I can see you…" He whispered.

"Deuce!" She exclaimed amid her sobs, she pushed herself hard into him, her head landing on his collar bone, he leaned his head down and tried desperately to curl himself around her, as she pushed her body into him as far as he could get it, her knees pushing into his chest.

"Careful… careful, baby… It's okay." He whispered. "I'm here… I'm here… Shh…" He whispered.

She continued to cry into him, her sobs finally slowing as he held her against him with his chin, wishing he could just pull the ropes from his hands and hold her in his arms. "I'm here, baby… I'm here… it's okay…" He whispered as she hiccupped instead of sobbing, her face pressed into his chest. "Did they hurt you?" He whispered. "Did they hurt you, baby?"

"My hands hurt." She sniffled.

"I know, baby… mine do too…" He nodded. "Is that all that hurts, baby?" He whispered, closing his eyes against the possibility that they had done anything else to her, he listened with his breath held for her answer. "Is your hands all that hurts?"

"Yes…No… my tummy hurts…" She whispered, her body trembling against him as she sniffled. "Deuce…" She mumbled against him. "I want to go home." She whimpered.

"I know, baby… I am going to get you home… I'm going to get you home, baby." He whispered, kissing her head as she pushed herself into him harder, he could feel her knees pressing against his ribs, but gave no warning. Her comfort was the priority now, his was secondary. He needed her to calm down. He could feel her body trembling so violently. "I'm here though." He said softly. "I'm going to take care of you… I love you so much."

"Can't you go invisible, Deuce?" She whispered. "Can't you go invisible and get us both out of here?" She whispered, pushing her knees harder into him as she pleaded. "Can't you save us?" She whimpered.

"Oh baby…." He whispered, his voice was full of sadness that he couldn't just snap his fingers and make it happen, that it wasn't nearly as easy as she had made it sound. He kissed her head, not knowing how to answer her questions.

"I'm scared, Deuce." She whispered, giving in on her pleading, she figured he wouldn't answer her. He had never mislead her before, and if he didn't mention it, it wasn't because he didn't want to do everything he could to comfort her. "I'm so scared."

"I know, baby… I know… I know you're scared, it's okay to be scared… I'm here, I'm not going to let them do anything to you. I'm not going to let them hurt you."

"I want mommy, Deuce… I just want mommy… I'm so scared… It's so dark here, so cold… so cold, Deuce."

"I am here, baby, push into me as hard as you can… I'll try to keep you warm… it's okay…" He whispered as he winced as her knee pressed into him harder. "Mommy and Ace are coming… we just have to wait… they're going to find us… or we'll get out of here, Deuce didn't really think very far ahead in his plan… he just needed to be with you, he needed to find you."

"I want to go home." She whimpered again, feeling him kiss her head, she liked the way it felt, and each time she whispered how scared she was, he would set that kiss on her head, and each time he did that, she felt a little warmer, and a little more safe.

"You are being so brave, little girl… so very brave… Deuce is so proud of you… Your mommy would be so proud of you… you're so brave…" he whispered.

"Mama is brave."

"Mama is very brave." He whispered back. "You're being just as brave as your Mama Bones… I'm so proud of you…" He whispered. "So proud." He paused. "Me and your Mama… we were partners, you know…" He whispered.

"Partners?"

"Yep… It was our job to protect people… protect people from bad guys like the ones out there… so your Mama, she knows what she's doing. She's a very brave woman, and I know she'll find us." He whispered. "I trust her like I trust no one else in the whole world." He whispered.

"I trust you, Deuce." She replied softly. "I love you, and I trust you."

"I love you, Toni." He whispered back. "I love you so very much." He said, feeling himself becoming slightly choked up at his words, he could sense the tears that were threatening to fall.

"I'm not scared when you're with me." She whispered.

"And I'm not scared when I'm with you." He whispered in return, kissing the top of her head, he felt her relax against him, while he kept his senses and his body in high alert.


	27. Fault Line

**Reader Discretion is advised... We just want to take a moment to thank you for your comments... We appreciate your words and your encouragement... **

**Update 27- Fault Line**

The sounds and smells of the room they were in were slowly melting their way into Booth's psyche. Every drip, every creak, every sound of a person's voice outside of the room they were in were burned into his memory, burned into his heart. He curled his aching body around the little girl, his mind concentrating solely on trying to think of a way out of the room, out of the building, to safety and security. He was concentrating so hard, that he almost didn't hear the tiny voice below him.

"Deuce?" Antonia whispered into his chest as she turned her head slightly, unsure if he had heard her. "Deuce?"

"Hm… I'm here, baby." He whispered. The pain from his ribs had subsided slightly in the time that they had been lying there, but Booth wasn't sure if it was because he just was immobile for the time being. "I'm right here…"

"What are you whispering?" She asked tenderly, looking up, she could barely make out his features, but she could hear him breathing, she could see in her mind, his smile, feel his arms around her in her imagination, as he curled his body around hers, kissing her head as he tried to see through the darkness of the room, trying to see her face.

"What am I whispering?"

"You were whispering." She said softly.

"I was praying." He replied honestly, having not realized that his whispered words were loud enough to be heard, he heard her take a slow, deep breath.

"Are you going to sleep, Deuce?" She whispered. "We always pray when we go to sleep."

"I'm not going to sleep, little girl… praying is okay for any time…"

"What are you praying for?" She whispered, hanging on his every word, his voice was keeping her calm, her trembling had slowed since he had curled himself around her.

"Protection… for you, for your mommy… for Ace." He whispered. "I'm praying that you and I get out of here soon, that we get out of this safely… I'm praying because it makes me feel better." He whispered.

"Are you praying for you?" She whispered.

"No."

"I will…" She whispered delicately, her face turning as she pressed her body farther into him. He felt the sharp pain of her knees in his chest again, and held his breath as he tried to will the pain to disappear. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something that would make him feel better, something to make the physical pain subside. He bent his head down, his lips again kissing the top of the little girl's head, as she began to whisper a prayer into Booth's chest.

_"That was not funny, Booth." Temperance said as she wiped the drop of water that Booth had flicked in her face as he sat across from her on the floor of his living room. "You got water on the paperwork…"  
_

_"It'll dry." He chuckled as he leaned back against the couch, yawning a big yawn, he nudged his partner. "I was just trying to keep you awake."_

_"I'm not the one yawning like a hibernating bear." She replied with a laugh at his scoff that interrupted his yawn. He put his fingers in his water glass again and flicked it in her face. "Booth!" She squeaked as she smacked him with her hand and growled in faux irritation as she tried to pull herself from the floor beside the couch. "Why are you being like this? I swear any time that Parker is around, you revert to acting his age." She said, as she sat down on the couch, leaving Booth sitting on the ground, she reached forward and tousled his hair with a giggle._

_"Parker is sleeping, I'm just being me." He said, leaning his head back, he looked up at her. "What's your excuse?"_

_She scoffed, laughing at him and shaking her head. "You're ridiculous…"_

_"Oh yeah?" he asked as he started to stand up, trying to figure out what his next move was, he wasn't sure if he should pretend to intimidate her, or actually take that forbidden step and tickle her. Her eyes were so playful, it was almost as if she was daring him to tickle her, when suddenly, the voice of Parker interrupted his thoughts, making him flop back down onto the floor._

_"Dad?" He said softly, his blonde hair tousled and unruly, he smiled and waved sleepily at Temperance. "Hey, Bones."_

_"Hey, Parker." Temperance said with a smile._

_"Hey, Bub… were we loud?"_

_"No." He shrugged sleepily. "I just had a bad dream." He mumbled._

_"A bad dream, huh?" Booth asked, watching his son nod as he yawned, his hand covering his mouth. "I'll be right in." he said, watching Parker nod._

_"Goodnight, Bones." Parker said with a friendly wave as he smiled._

_"Goodnight, Parker." She said, smiling at the little boy as his grin became a little wider and he turned and ran into his room._

_Booth looked to his partner and smiled, carefully standing up. "I'll be just a minute or two…" He said with a smile, watching her try to stifle a yawn, her hand going over her mouth._

_"I should probably go." She said, shrugging, grabbing the offered hand of her partner as he helped her from the couch._

_"Are you sure?"_

_"I'm falling asleep on your couch, Booth." She laughed, watching his gentle smile as he nodded in agreement._

_"Alright… fine… we can finish the paperwork over lunch." He said, turning toward Parker's room, he gave her a gentle wave. "Goodnight, Bones."_

_"Goodnight, Booth." She said, starting to gather her things, she watched him disappear into his son's room. She was putting the papers in her bag, shuffling them together as she cleaned up the mess that she and Booth had made on the coffee table. She pulled her bag over her shoulder and started to walk toward the door, when she heard Booth's low voice coming from the bedroom. He wasn't talking, it sounded more lyrical than that. She moved closer to Parker's bedroom door, and a smile rose across her face as she realized he was softly singing to his son. It wasn't anything sweet or girly, just a gentle tune that probably soothed the boy from his nightmares. She listened for several moments, his voice was clear as the melody floated from his lips, the words were gentle and clear, and she found herself entranced by his voice for a moment. The song slowly came to a stop, and she was suddenly shaken into reality by the sound of his footsteps in the room. Quickly, she gathered herself, standing up straight, she quickly made her way to the door, and slipped out into the hallway before Booth found her listening to the tender moment between father and son._

"And then we'll…" Harding said, noticing immediately that Temperance was obviously lost in another world. Her lips were pursed, her eyes were focused on her hands as they continued to knead the fur of the gray elephant that she hadn't moved from her hands since she found it on the floor in the apartment. The police had wanted to take it as evidence, but she refused. It was the only connection she had to her daughter, and there wasn't a living soul that would be able to remove it from her hand. "Temperance?" He said tenderly, trying to pull her from her reverie as delicately as possible, she looked up at him swiftly, her eyes ready for a conversation, and it was obvious that she had heard nothing that he had said.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"It's okay, I was just saying that we'll get to my office and take a look at the files quickly. The other agents on the case want them back as soon as possible, and are probably going to be knocking down my door to get them." He stopped short of telling her that it was a figure of speech, because he knew for certain that if he didn't hand over the documents, they would, indeed, be knocking down his door. "Are you doing alright?" He asked, noticing her fingers were tightly wound around the material of the tattered toy in her hands, her nerves were completely gone, and he could tell that she was quickly unraveling.

"I still don't understand." She whispered. "I don't understand all of this, how all of this could happen? Why is it happening now? Why? Booth has been dead for four years, Christopher. Why is this all of a sudden an issue, why is this happening now? Why did they take my baby? Why are they doing this now? I haven't done anything to deserve this… Booth is dead, and they took my baby… they took her away from me, and she's… she's probably so scared, and she's so alone…" Temperance whimpered as tears flowed freely down her cheeks, landing unceremoniously upon the tiny stuffed animal in her hands. "And I don't understand why she named him Deuce…" She whimpered, tapping the toy at her thigh, she held onto it with a near strangle hold. "I don't understand… did she know him? Did she know this man? Who is he, and why is he protecting me? Why did he put his life on the line for my child? I just… It's not making any sense, it's not making any logical sense, and it's killing me!" She suddenly exclaimed as she began to sob openly, she felt Harding's arm wrap around her as he drove, unsure of exactly how he was going to do this, he only knew that he had to get her back alive, and he needed her to stay strong, because he had a bad feeling about going into the FBI building, he had a bad feeling that he wouldn't even be able to get to his office without nearly being assaulted with questions from the other agents, and what he feared most was that one of them knew the truth about Booth being alive.

He kept his arm around her as he pulled into his parking space, her crying slowly stopping as she wiped her tears on her hand. She tried to compose herself as quickly as she could, and she could see by the look in his eyes, that he didn't pity her, he was simply waiting. He gave her another moment, turning the car off, and with that, she grabbed for the handle and climbed from the car. He took that as her cue that she was ready, and followed her toward the elevators.

-------------

Booth could hear voices outside of the room, he knew that Antonia could hear them too, feeling her knees push harder into his body, she dug her head into his chest, whimpering. "Don't worry, baby… don't be scared… don't be scared, we're gonna get through this, sweetheart." He whispered reassuringly. "Deuce is here…" He whispered delicately, as the sound of the door opening sent the little girl crashing into him harder. He let out a pain filled grunt as the shadow in the doorway was cast across the two bodies lying against one another.

"Aw… ain't that just a cute sight?" The man spat, his voice like venom. Booth could tell that it wasn't Snake Eyes that was standing before them, it was one of his men. His stature was smaller, and his shoulders were more round than the man who had ordered their capture and abuse. "You like being all comfy with your daddy?" The man said in a sarcastic tone as he reached out to touch Antonia, only to be blocked by Booth as he shifted.

"Don't you dare touch her." He growled angrily.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" The man asked, kicking his heel into Booth's hip, his body failed to move from over the little girl, her whimpering was intensifying as she began to shake again. "You're the fucking prisoner! You're the one that's going to die!" He said, kicking him again. "Do I have to teach you a fucking lesson?" He asked, spouting something in Spanish as he kicked Booth's hip again and again, trying to get him to move off of the little girl.

"You're not going to touch her!" Booth screamed into the top of Antonia's head, his body arched over her little body as he balanced himself precariously over her, the man's assault starting to take a toll in his hip as he struggled to stay above her.

"Deuce…" She whimpered from below him. She could sense the fear from her protector, she could sense his pain, and each time the man kicked him, she could see it in his face. "Stop! Stop hurting Deuce! STOP!" She screamed as she wiggled angrily.

"It's okay…" He whispered to the little girl as he was suddenly kicked in the head by the man, his ear ringing in pain as he felt the blood from the cut that had been scratched across his cheek.

"You want to see pain?" The man shouted as he reached down and pushed Booth, pushed him so that he rolled onto his side, Antonia now a foot away from him as she looked up and pleaded for him. The man reached down to grab her hands, when Booth screamed.

"NO!" Booth shouted. "Don't hurt her! Please don't hurt her!" He screamed. "Don't you have children? Don't you have children that you love? Would you do this to your children? Why are you letting him control you? This isn't your fight!" Booth screamed every negotiating tactic he could think of as the man stopped. "This isn't your fight, to hurt an innocent child! You're not a monster! HE IS A MONSTER! PLEASE! HURT ME! DON'T HURT HER! PLEASE!" Booth screamed. "Please… please…" he exclaimed, his breathing heavy as he tried to control the pain in his body. He watched the man's evil smile and the way he shook his head. "Please!" He screamed.

"Oh, such the martyr…" The man laughed a sickening laugh as he pulled at Antonia's arms. She shouted in pain, and Booth could feel the insane anger rising in his body as he watched the pain in the little girl's face.

"Please just let her go…" He whispered. "You have me, just let her go…" He whispered, suddenly, feeling the hands of someone else grabbing him from behind. He hadn't even noticed the other person who had entered the room, another one of Snake Eyes' men, as he pulled Booth hard.

"So you want to be the one to take it for the kid, huh? You want to be a martyr, huh?" The man asked as he kicked Booth's hip, sending him into a yelp of pain. "You see that kid? See what you're making us do to him?" he asked, as the other man held Antonia up so that she could see what the other man was doing.

"Toni! Close your eyes! Close your eyes!" Booth screamed as he watched the terror in her eyes as she witnessed the man behind Deuce pull out a stick, slamming it into the man's arm. Booth yelped in pain at the sensation across his arm.

"Oh no! Don't you close your eyes, sweetness…" The man holding Antonia's head, reaching down to slap her face a little, tapping it lightly. "Such a pretty girl… it's a shame we're going to have to shoot her in the head later…" He laughed wickedly as Booth struggled against the man behind him as he continued to kick him, step on his legs, sending his ankle into an awkward angle as Booth groaned and grunted loudly in pain. "See that…. See what you did there, making us hurt him? You are the reason he's bleeding… It's all your fault…" He said wickedly. "Hey Ramon, we should let her live… how would that be… living without a mommy and a daddy…" He said with a wicked laugh as the man who was beating on Booth continued, laughing at his friend's suggestion. He kicked and punched and slammed Booth with the stick three or four more times, before the two of them became bored of their sick game. "It'll just be a little longer… a little longer, and then you won't be in as much pain, Deuce… we could kill you now if you want…" He laughed wickedly. "What would be the fun in that?" He asked, watching his partner throw the stick across the floor as he gave Booth one final kick into the small of his back. He arched his back against the pain, his eyes closing as he held in the pain filled scream he wanted to emit, trying not to scare Antonia any more than she already was.

"Let's go see if the boss needs anything…" He said to his friend as he lifted Antonia by her arms. "Here…" He grunted, tossing the little girl toward Booth. "Go play with daddy!" He said, watching as she landed face first into Booth's chest, a squeak of pain emitted from her lips as Booth lie on his side staring up at them. His eyes were glassy and full of pain, his breathing was extremely labored. "We'll see you later, Deuce." He said, sending a spit wad through the air, laughing as it landed across the beaten man's face. The two men then turned, walked out of the room and slammed the door behind them, laughing the entire way.

Antonia shifted quickly as soon as the door closed, falling from where she had landed onto Booth onto her side facing him. "Deuce?" She whimpered. "Deuce, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" She whimpered as she began to cry.

"Toni, no." Booth panted. "No, don't… Don't say you're sorry… it's not your fault."

"I'm so sorry…" She sobbed. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She continued to exclaim as she pushed her body into him harder. She knew he was in pain, she knew that he was bleeding, and all she could feel was that it was her fault. She was so scared, scared of the men, scared of the pain, and even more scared that she was going to lose the only person that could save her. She was scared of losing Deuce, and all she could do now was feel the shame and helplessness that was tearing apart her tiny, innocent heart.


	28. Hush

**Update 28- Hush**

Harding and Temperance were walking down the hallway toward his office, when another agent stepped in front of them. "Do you have those files, Harding?"

"I'll get them for you in a second." He said as he continued walking, his voice was a bit anxious, but stern and he rounded the corner toward his office. He could hear the other agent behind them, and he picked up the pace as he pulled his keys from his pocket.

"We need those files now, Harding… not later, now."

"I said I'll get them for you!" He said, glancing back at the agent with an irritated scowl. "Why don't you stop being an ignorant ass and show some respect to Doctor Brennan here." He said as he turned the key in the lock and stepped inside.

"Good Morning, Doctor Brennan." He said, noting that she hardly even looked at him as she stepped into the office. "Alright… file, Harding… we're trying to find this kid."

"This 'kid', is Doctor Brennan's daughter… call her by her name, please." He said, trying his best to stall, as Temperance watched him follow Harding right to his desk.

"Um…" Temperance said softly. "Agent…"

"Goodman…" He said, nodding toward Temperance as he turned his attention back to the desk.

"Agent Goodman, would you mind stepping out into the hallway for a second, I need to speak to Agent Harding about something of a personal matter, and I would appreciate some privacy, please."

"I was just…" He turned and saw the stern look on Temperance's face, the intensity was strong. "I'll wait out in the hallway…" He said with a nod. "I'm sorry, Doctor Brennan." He said as he glanced to Harding. "Just hurry up with those folders, Harding!" He barked one more time before stepping out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Harding looked over at Temperance, who gave him an impatient look. "What are you looking at me for… folders, folders…" She said as she rushed him along, watching him pull the files from the drawer.

"Good stall tactic, partner…"

"Stop stalling with me, and just tell me what we've got!" She said with an exasperated sigh, grabbing one of the folders she started to flip through it.

* * *

Booth was breathing heavily as he held the little girl against him, the pain was now everywhere, not just in his ribs. His face hurt, his arm hurt, his hip hurt. He felt weak and broken, and was on the verge of tears. The little girl's crying had stopped after a few minutes, but he could still feel her trembling against him. "I wish I could hug you." She whimpered tenderly to him. "I wish I could hug you, Deuce… I'm so scared…"

"I know, baby…" He whispered, his breathing labored, his voice weak. "I know… I know…"

"Where is mommy, Deuce? Where is mommy, why isn't she here?"

"They're coming, princess… they're gonna come…" He whispered, praying in his head that his words were true. He was having a very hard time staying conscious, his head was hurting and he could taste blood in his mouth.

"How do you know? What if they can't find us?" She whimpered.

"They'll find us, they will…"

* * *

"Anything?" She asked, flipping through the pages. "What did Deuce tell you, Harding? Did he mention where they might hold someone? Did he say anything about anything other than the bar…"

"They wouldn't hold her in the bar." He said quickly.

"What if they just killed Deuce and…"

"Temperance, don't even say it."

"It's possible, Christopher!" She exclaimed. "Why are we going to delude ourselves into believing that these savage monsters that put a hole in a mother of three's head is not capable of murdering a three year old girl in cold blood?"

"Because that's not his M.O, Temperance. He doesn't shoot people… that was one of his men that did that… it wasn't Snake Eyes… He doesn't want her dead, he needs to use her as bait, and even if he finds Deuce, chances are that he's trying to do more than just kill him, he probably intends on torturing him."

"They could have killed her already!" She exclaimed, slamming her fist on the desk, her phone screamed loudly in her pocket. She grabbed it out and put it to her ear. "Brennan." She said coldly into the line. "Are you sure?" She paused. "Hodgins, are you positive?" She asked, her voice lifting slightly as she glanced to Harding. "Thank you! Thank you!" She exclaimed. "Send me the addresses and any other info to my phone now… thank you, Hodgins." She said one more time before pressing the button on the phone. "Come on, we have to go…"

"Temperance, what is it?"

"I'll explain on the way… give the files back to Agent Goodson… they're useless, we have to go now!" She exclaimed.

"Goodman…" He corrected as he shuffled the papers, slammed the drawer closed and walked toward the door.

"Whatever." She said, swinging the door open, she breezed past the waiting agent and right behind her, Harding dropped the pile of unorganized files into the other Agent's hands, watching several papers flit from the files as he and Temperance disappeared around the corner toward the elevator.

* * *

"Deuce?" Antonia whispered, her eyes watching her protector's face as his eyelids drooped in pain induced exhaustion. "Deuce?" She whispered again, noticing he was spacing out. "Deuce… please don't fall asleep."

"I'm not going to sleep." He shook his head, not looking at her, he could feel the pain in every muscle in his body. "I'm not going to sleep…" He said, shaking his head, his eyes cleared. "I'm not… we have to go." He said suddenly, his voice a little stronger.

"Go?" She whispered.

"We have to get out of here." He said. "We're going to have to do this ourselves." He whispered.

"How?" She whispered softly.

"We're going to have to work together." He said, smacking his lips, he spaced out slightly, trying to deny himself the pain that he was experiencing, trying to ignore it.

"But you're hurt."

"I'm going to need your help, Toni…"

"Like partners?" She whispered.

"Exactly… you're going to have to be my partner…" He whispered. "I need you to roll over… roll over and wiggle up…" He whispered.

"Wiggle up?"

"Bring your arms up to me." He whispered. "I need you to wiggle up until your hands are near my mouth, do you understand? I'm going to try to untie your hands with my mouth." He whispered.

"Oh…!" She whispered as she rolled over instantly, wiggling her legs against the cold floor, she scraped her arm against the floor, but it was for freedom, she hardly even felt the pain, and as soon as she felt him tugging on the binds against her wrists, she could feel her bravery beginning to rise. He tugged at the ropes on her hands, methodically pulling the knots apart with his teeth. He pulled and spit, pulled and spit again and again, feeling her hands becoming loose, she finally pulled at her hands, and the ropes fell to the floor, instantly, she rolled over and grabbed hold of Booth, her arms wrapping around his neck. "Deuce!" She squeaked as she began to kiss his face, her hands rubbing the back of his head, her fingertips against his neck as he laughed nervously against her, the pain in his body waning for the adrenaline in his body was starting to pump full force.

"Okay, okay…" He was breathing heavily against her as he tried to get her attention. She was so excited to have use of her hands, that she wasn't listening to a word. She just gripped him as tightly as she could, and began to cry against him. "Hey…. Hey, no tears… no tears, little one… you have to help me now… you have to get my arms free, baby… so I can hug you back." He whispered, as she looked at him and eagerly climbed over him, forcing him to grunt and groan in pain as she began tugging at the ropes around his hand. "Can you get it?" He whispered. "Can you get it?" He asked.

Her tiny fingers worked at the knots in the rope, tugging and pulling, her own teeth coming into play with the ropes as she tried to free her friend. "They're tight…" She whispered as she kept tugging at them, his voice encouraging her softly as she pulled at the ropes. He could feel the knots loosening, and twisted his hands as she worked.

"You're doing a good job… you're doing a great job, baby… good job…" He whispered. "You're a great partner, a great partner, such a good helper." He encouraged as he felt his wrists finally come free, he could hear his heart beating in his ears, he could feel every muscle in his body screaming at him to stop moving, but as soon as his sweaty, rope burned wrists felt that cool air, he turned as quickly as he could and gathered the little girl into his arms. "Oh thank God!" He whispered as he finally felt his arms around her, squeezing her as tightly as he could without losing his breath. "Oh… my baby…" He whispered as he kissed her cheek and held her to him. "It feels so good to hold you."

"I'm a good partner, huh? Aren't I, Deuce?" She whispered as she clung to him tightly.

"You're a fantastic partner, my little Bones…" He said softly as he just held her for a moment, allowing the tears of finally feeling his arms around her flow freely. "Oh… no crying… no crying, little girl…" He whispered softly, holding her against her securely as he took a moment to rest.

* * *

Harding followed Temperance quickly, his pace was a step or two behind hers, and try as he may, he couldn't seem to catch up with her for more than a second. She was determined, her eyes showing an intensity that he had never seen before. She walked into the parking garage and started toward her car. "Temperance, you have to tell me where we're going."

"We're going to go find Antonia." She said with a determined growl. "We're going to find that sonofabitch, and we're going to kill him." She said, perfectly serious, and perfectly livid. He watched her for a moment as she walked toward her car.

"How are we going to find her? What did Hodgins tell you? Temperance, please stop for a second."

"We don't have a second!"

"Then take my car… we should take my car, it has the siren and the lights…"

"I am going to drive." She said sternly as she continued toward her car.

"Fine! Fine! You drive! But we're taking my car!" He said as she stopped and turned. Her eyes were wide with surprise, her mouth open slightly as she looked at him. "What?"

"There's a card on my car." She said. "Under the windshield wiper."

"Let's go… they know we're here." He said, grabbing her arm, she didn't pull away, just stared at him for a second.

"How do you know the card wasn't there before the folded card was at the bar?"

"It doesn't matter, Deuce is out of the game, he's not leaving clues… we need to get to my car, now! Tell me what Hodgins found." He said as she started toward him quickly, passing him on their way toward his car.

* * *

Booth continued to lay on the floor, the little girl now gripping his shirt so tightly that her fingernails were digging into his skin. He didn't care about the pain, only that she was no longer trembling. He could feel the pain of his other injuries pulling him into shock, and he resisted it as much as he could, the adrenaline of having been released from his bound wrists was quickly retreating, and he could hear his breathing, short labored breaths, and he was finding it increasingly more difficult to concentrate.

"Deuce, are you okay?" She whispered, sensing his anxiety, her grip on him loosened as she looked up at him. They had freed their hands, but she couldn't understand why he wasn't getting up, why they weren't banging on the doors to get out. "Deuce, we can get out now…" She whispered.

"No…" He said weakly. "The door locks from the outside." He explained. "They have to come in here…God…" He groaned as he felt a sharp jab of pain in his side. "Oh…" He groaned, his body shivering from the oncoming shock.

"Deuce, don't move…" She said as she started to get up, he watched as she moved quickly across the room.

"Toni…" He moaned, he could hear her bare feet slapping against the floor, a slight limp in her step as she came back with the blanket, she draped it over him. "What… what is this for?"

"You're cold, Deuce…" She whispered.

"We have to figure something out." He said, feeling tears in his eyes as he felt so weak lying on the floor, his mind racing faster than his body could move. "We have to get out of here…"

She leaned up toward his face, kneeling in front of him. "Shh…" She whispered, placing her hand on his face as she softly ran her hand over his cheek. She could feel the blood from where the man had hit him, and she lifted a corner of the blanket to her mouth, and spit on it just a little. His breathing was labored, and he watched as she so gently wiped the blood from his face with the corner of the blanket.

"You don't have to…"

"Hush…" She whispered, staring into his face, what she could see in the darkness of the room, she leaned down and placed her head on his chest, and tenderly, she began to hum her favorite lullaby.

* * *

They were driving through the streets of DC, waiting on more information from Hodgins. He was sending addresses and possible locations based upon the particulates he found in the apartment. Apparently, the person who had killed Lola, and taken Antonia had been in a slaughterhouse recently. The man had left a boot print on the carpet, and Hodgins was able to find animal blood, along with other indicators. Based on a seed that was found in the dirt left behind, he was able to determine that it had come from a rare type of grass that grew near the river. They were now waiting on the locations of those facilities.

Her phone beeped suddenly with a text message, and both she and Harding jumped as they read the address of three different slaughterhouses that were possible. "How do we know which one to go to?" She asked, glancing to Harding.

"We need to call for backup." He said as he lifted his radio, when suddenly the sound of the gunshot blasting through the side window made Temperance pull the wheel hard. Glass shattered throughout the car. "DOWN! GET DOWN!" Harding screamed.

"GET DOWN? I AM TRYING TO DRIVE!" She screamed back as she slammed on the gas and turned the car around, following behind the van that the shot had come from.

"Temperance! What are you doing?"

"I'm following them!" She screamed. "Isn't that what police officers do? Follow the suspects?"

"Yes! But you're not a police officer!"

"And I'm not going to let this asshole shoot at us and get away with it!" She screamed as she pushed hard on the gas, though the van seemed to be going faster, moving toward the river, when suddenly something was thrown from the window. A handful of playing cards came flying out of the van and slammed into the SUV, and when they realized what was flying through the air, into the car, she followed with even more vengeance. They dodged traffic, and before she even realized it, she was led into an industrial area along the river. She tried to keep up with him, but before she realized it, the van had disappeared through the bumpy roads of the abandoned buildings, and disappeared down an alleyway. She slowed the car down, stopping eventually, she could feel her pulse racing as she took slow, deep breaths and turned her head to her partner. "We lost him…"

"Yeah, we lost him…" he said with a shocked expression. "Move over, I'm driving!" He said as her jaw dropped in surprise. "I'm serious, Temperance… switch seats!" He shouted as he climbed from the car and ran around to his side, he jumped into the driver's seat. "You could have gotten us both killed!" He exclaimed.

"I am a very good driver!" She exclaimed, as he suddenly realized that they had been led to one of the industrial parks that were on the list that Hodgins had given them. His eyes widened as he looked at Temperance, and she tipped her head in confusion. "What?" She whispered, as realization dawned over her face, and the two of them stopped in a stunned silence.

* * *

The slaughterhouse was quiet as Snake Eyes paced back and forth through the darkest sections of the building. He had heard from his associate that the target was in the vicinity. Suddenly, the muffled sound of a child screaming echoed through the empty building and he turned to one of his men. "Ramon, find out what the hell is wrong with that stupid little bitch… make her shut up if you have to." He said in a growl as he waited patiently for his next target.

Ramon walked quickly toward the freezer, the screaming becoming louder and louder as he reached the door, when he peeked through the tiny window in the door, he could see the little girl, screaming as she shook the man on the floor, his eyes wide open as he lay motionless on the floor, paying no heed to the screaming child who was grasping at him desperately.


	29. Breach the Barrier

**Update 29- Breach the Barrier**

"I don't understand." Temperance whispered. She was visibly trembling as she grabbed Harding's arm as he pulled his firearm from its holster and checked the round. "What are you doing? What does this mean?"

"It means that I'm going in, and you are going to stay in the car… you're going to stay low, and you're going to stay in the car." He said sternly as she shook her head.

"No, you are not going in there alone, Harding. You need backup."

"If I get backup, it could spook them… we don't even know if this is where they're keeping them. I need a head start. I want you to wait five minutes… in five minutes, I need you to call in this address."

"I'm going in with you, Harding."

"No, you're staying here. I promised I'd keep you safe, no arguments, Temperance. You need to stay here. Promise me."

"Christopher!"

"Promise me, Temperance! It could be a trap! Do not walk into this building! I am serious!" He said sternly, watching her look at him with surprise. He leaned into the back seat and pulled up the seat. He pulled out a flak jacket and started to put it on.

"Do you have one of those in there for me?" She asked, watching him glare at her.

"Promise me, Temperance." He said with a growl as he fastened the jacket and opened the car door cautiously.

"I promise." She said, a little too easily for his taste, but there wasn't any time to argue tone with her. He carefully exited the vehicle and looked back to her. "Now get down and stay down." He said quickly. "Five minutes… then call backup."

"Fine…. Just go!" She exclaimed with a frustrated whisper as he closed the door, and walked around the building with his gun drawn.

* * *

Ramon stood at the window watching the pain in the little girl's face, the scream was loud and coming from deep within her soul as she sobbed, her hands were freed, but that wasn't what the man was watching. He was watching the man who lay in front of her, covered in a blanket, his eyes wide open and staring into nothing. He looked as if he was dead, and the little girl was clearly mourning him. He thought of stepping in the room, and looked around to see if his boss was around. Seeing no one, he slowly stepped into the room. As soon as he stepped into the room, the little girl looked at him.

"Make him wake up!" She screamed. "Make him wake up! Deuce! Wake up!" She screamed as Ramon watched the tears falling down the little girl's face, the despair in her screams as she pounded on Deuce's chest with clenched fists. "Deuce!" She sobbed.

"Hey kid…" Ramon said, instantly feeling for the little girl. When he came in the room earlier, he had been posturing, pretending to be a bad ass. He had never intended on actually killing the man, that was for his boss to do. All he could think of was how angry his boss was going to be when he found out that he and Jorge had killed the man that he had intended on murdering himself. He moved closer to the little girl and started to crouch beside her as she sobbed. He crouched beside the body of the man. "Hey kid, stop crying… come on…" he said as he glanced to the door and reached down to take the little girl's hand, when suddenly, she turned quickly, swinging her hand from the other side as quickly as she could, her fingers slammed full force into his eyes. "AHH!" He exclaimed, as suddenly, he had a hand on his arm like a vice grip, and his arm was bent back forcefully. He struggled suddenly, but was no match for the angry man who had grabbed hold of his shirt, pushed him over and slammed him into the floor.

"Don't you ever… ever… even look at that little girl again, do you fucking hear me?" Booth growled from over the Ramon. His hand was wrapped tightly around his neck, and his knee was pressed firmly against his groin as he put all of his weight down on Ramon. He struggled for a moment, his face turning a bright shade of red. Booth looked up and saw the little girl hiding behind the door. "Antonia, I told you to run out of the door!" He shouted.

"No! No Deuce, I'm not leaving you!" She exclaimed as Booth stared into the face of the man.

"You're lucky she stuck around you piece of shit… because I will not kill you in front of her." He said, spit flying from between his lips as he watched the man's face beginning to turn purple, when suddenly he heard Antonia's warning from her hiding place.

"Watch out, Deuce!" Antonia screamed as she held the door open, hiding behind it as the other man came at Booth angrily. Booth slammed Ramon's head into the ground to knock him out momentarily, and was leapt on by the other man, Jorge. He swung his body around and slammed him into the wall, forcing him to release his grip on Booth, he fell to the ground.

"Antonia, out!" He shouted, he was sweating profusely, and the pain in his body was seemingly numbed as he fought off his attacker, though he was very sure that he was causing himself more damage than good.

"No! No!" She shouted. "I'm your partner!" She exclaimed as Jorge jumped at Booth again, only to be slammed into the floor. His adrenaline was pumping through his body like an anesthetic, and he knew that he was going to have severe injuries because of all of the abuse he was taking. All he knew was that he needed to concentrate on getting himself and Antonia out of that room and to a safe place, so that he could take care of Snake Eyes himself.

"Antonia, rope! Get me the rope!" He screamed as he held Jorge's hands behind his back, holding his face hard into the ground, Antonia ran to him and threw the ropes at Booth. He swung the rope around the man's hands, lifting his legs up backwards, he hog tied him as tightly as he could. He reached down and grabbed the blanket, tearing a portion of it off, he shoved it into Jorge's mouth, just as Ramon began to wake up. Antonia held the door open, hiding behind it, as she waited, watching from behind the door as Booth hog tied Ramon, doing the same thing with the blanket, he shoved it into his mouth, whispered something in the man's ear angrily as he grabbed it and tugged at it. He grabbed the gun from Ramon's belt loop, tucked it into his own, and ran toward the door. The little girl moved from the other side of the door and held her arms out, she was lifted by Booth into the air, and he held her close to his chest, her hands gripping the front of him as he held her as securely as he could, and moved as silently as he could through the cold, dark warehouse, trying to find a way out, or someplace to hide, and praying that he wouldn't run into Snake Eyes in the process.

* * *

Brennan sat in the car staring at the corner where Harding had disappeared behind. She looked to her watch. "Three minutes." She mumbled to herself as she sighed, sitting back in the seat, she sat low in it, thinking for a moment about how she had promised to stay in the car. "I said… I promise…" She reasoned. "I didn't say… what I promised." She shrugged, looking back at the seat where he had pulled his flak jacket from beneath. She glanced out the window and then leaned back toward the seat, lifting the seat slowly, she spied another flak jacket in the compartment, and she pulled it out quickly, tossing it onto the seat next to her, something colorful caught her eye on the floor of the car, tucked beneath the carpet on the floor.

She leaned down and picked up the object, holding it between her thumb and forefinger; she immediately recognized it as a poker chip. It looked oddly familiar, if not a bit worn, and she thought for a moment of where she had seen this chip before. She held it in the palm of her hand and furrowed her brow, lifting her hand quickly, she flipped the chip in her hand. When it landed in her hand, she felt her heart twist in her chest.

She looked up at the warehouse, and her eyes flashed to the remnants of her daughter's favorite stuffed toy, sitting on the console between the seats. Her eyes then moved back to the poker chip. "Deuce loves you, Mommy…" She whispered, hearing her daughter's voice in her head, she thought of all of things that her daughter had said that Deuce said, or did, and her hand went immediately to the medal around her neck. "No." She whispered, flipping the poker chip in her hand, she could see his charming smile, his warm brown eyes, the way he made that clicking sound with his tongue when he was explaining a motive. The hair on the back of her neck rose as she flipped the chip again. "No…" She whispered again, stronger.

Without a second thought, she grabbed the flak jacket from the seat beside her and started to pull it on her shoulders, securing it tightly. "No, no, no…please." She whispered, feeling the most intense sense of anxiety that she had ever remembered having. She held the poker chip tightly in her hand as she fastened the jacket to her body. She leaned down and pulled the metal box from the seat, opening it, she grabbed the gun from within it. She stopped for a moment, seeing the card sitting in the bottom of the box. She turned it over in her hand, and brought it to her face slowly. She imagined that she could smell his scent on that card, she could sense his closeness. She shoved the card in her pocket, and loaded the gun, as she slowly climbed from the car. Just before closing the door, she grabbed hold of the radio and called in backup, giving them the location and requesting an ambulance and a SWAT team. They had started to question her request, but she only responded with a sound slam of the SUV door, and a quick and quiet move down the alleyway to the entrance of the warehouse.

* * *

Booth rounded another corner, quietly listening for someone, anyone else. He knew that Snake Eyes had other men that were working for him, at least two others. He held Antonia to his chest as tightly as he could, her face buried in his body as she clung to him. He was sweating profusely, his skin cold and clammy, his body slowly shutting down, and knew he needed to find someplace to hide Antonia. He could see a door, but immediately saw movement, and turned before the person came into view, he stepped back and pushed his back against a wall, holding his breath. Antonia looked up at him, and he widened his eyes, and she knew to be quiet as they waited, hearing the sound of pacing feet, he turned and silently went in a different direction.

He turned at a set of stairs, sure that they were only keeping track of the bottom floor, he slipped up the stairs undetected and found a series of hallways. He didn't know how to get out of the building, all he knew was that he needed to hide Antonia so he could make sure that Ace and Temperance were alright. The further they got from a door, the tighter Antonia held on, her questioning eyes were full of fear as he turned into a room that appeared to have light filtering in from the rising sun. In the room, there were several desks and chairs piled up on top of one another, a storage place for unwanted items. He slipped her beneath one of the desks and painfully slipped beneath it with her, tucking her as far as he could in a corner that wasn't visible from any corner of the room, unless she climbed from the safe spot. "I need you to stay here." He whispered so softly, she could hardly hear him. His face was covered in sweat, the color had been drained of it, and he looked ready to pass out. Antonia wiped his forehead with her hand, feeling that he was cool to the touch, he looked like he was about to pass out, and she didn't know, but being crunched beneath the desk with her there, was making the pain almost unbearable. Her fingers released from his shirt only slightly as she held on.

"No…" She whispered, her body beginning to tremble.

"Hey… we got out of that room, didn't we?" He whispered. "Now I have to go make sure your mommy and Ace are safe." He panted.

"Don't leave…" She whimpered tenderly, the way her lip stuck out nearly broke his heart as her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, baby… please… please don't cry again…" He whispered. "Please? I need to make sure Mommy and Ace are safe… I need to do this, princess."

"Are you coming back for me?" She whimpered.

"Someone will find you… Ace will find you, I'll be sure of it… when this is all over, you'll have Mommy, and Ace… and…"

"You." She whispered. "You can't be invisible no more." She whispered, grabbing his shirt. "You can't be invisible. You have to come back and get me, don't forget me."

"I'm not going to forget you…" He whispered. "I will never forget you, ever. But you have to promise me that you will stay right here." He said softly. "Promise me."

"I promise." She whispered.

"The whole thing, promise me the whole thing, Toni…"

She watched him carefully and sighed, knowing that he had caught onto her trick. "I promise I'll stay here…until you come back for me." She whispered. "Don't go…" She whimpered as her lip began to tremble. "I don't want them to hurt you again…Please don't go, Deuce… don't leave me… please… we're partners…" She said as she started to cry softly into him. He wrapped his arms around her as best as he could, the pain in his chest and from his broken ribs was beginning return in full force from all of the movement, from holding her, from the adrenaline beginning to wear off.

"Listen, Toni… listen very carefully…" He whispered as he tried to get her attention. "Sweetie, look at me…" He whispered. "If someone comes into this room, I want you to stay as quiet as a mouse, do you understand?" He asked, watching her nod. "When Ace comes looking for you… he is going to say a magic password, okay? Can you remember this?" She watched him gently watch her, his hands very softly running through her dark hair, his eyes filled with tears. "It's a prayer… " He swallowed hard. "Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, please come around… something's lost, and must be found…" He sighed. "Can you remember that? Say it for me."

"Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony… Please…"

"Come around." Booth whispered.

"Something's lost, and must be found." She said, as Booth nodded, watching her lips move in silence as she said it in her head.

"I want you to say it over, and over in your head… and when Ace finds you… those are the magic words… okay? To let you know that everything is okay, that you can come out." He whispered.

"I thought you were coming back, Deuce." She whimpered sadly as she felt her own tears threatening to fall.

"I have to go, Toni… and… look at me, baby…" He whispered, ignoring her reply as she looked at him. "Promise me that you'll grow up to be just like your mommy… always learning, always beautiful… and tell her, every day that I loved her… can you do that for me? Can you tell your mommy that?" He whispered, watching her solemn nod as her eyes burned into his. She didn't understand why he was saying these things, but she promised. She promised it all. He pulled her from him, and she noticed that his whole body was cool and damp. He was looking more and more pale by the moment, but he still acted as if he were fine, as if nothing were wrong. "I love you, Toni…"

"I love you, Deuce…" She whimpered as he started to back out from their hiding spot. "Wait!" She almost yelled, remembering they were hiding, she grabbed hold of his hand and he stopped. "Wait a second…" She whispered, she reached around her neck and carefully unclasped the St. Anthony medal around her neck. "Wear this, Deuce…" She whispered.

He didn't know what to say, the little girl was offering him in complete and utter selflessness, the medal that he had given her as a gift. "Why?" He whispered.

"Because I'm your saint… I'll protect you." She whispered, watching him take the medal from her tiny fingers. "You're my partner…"

"I'm your partner?" He asked, a ghost of a smile on his lips, watching her nod, he clasped the medal around his neck and reached for his pocket, pulling two cards out. "These are my last two cards…" He said with a nod… It's all I have left…" He whispered. "This… is a deuce… a deuce of hearts." He said, holding it up. "This… is the queen of hearts… If you put them together…. What you get is something amazing." He said as he leaned forward and kissed her nose. "Your mama has the brains and your daddy has the heart… you're lucky, baby… because you have both…" He said with a smile that was without pain. "Remember to stay down… and don't make a peep… no matter what you hear downstairs." He said, holding his knuckles out to the little girl, she rapped hers against his and watched him wink at her. "I love you." He whispered as he carefully climbed from where he was hiding, adjusted the gun in his belt, and made his way through the doorway as quietly as he could.


	30. Deus Ex Machina

**First... I'd like to thank Lauren for helping me with the flashback in this scene... Neither Jeni, nor I could get it right... but somehow you managed to kick both of our butts... Also... Please bear with me in these updates... this is not the end of the story... this is only the beginning... I appreciate your words, comments, thoughts... so keep 'em coming... and one more thing.**

**trust me.**

**Update 30- Deus Ex Machina**

Slumped and sore, Booth crept down the stairs with his gun drawn. He listened for movement as he walked, his eyes focusing in the dark, for having been locked in that room for long enough, his eyes had adjusted to the dim light of the warehouse. He remembered where he had seen the other man pacing, but also swore that he heard a sound from behind him. He knew that there was at least another two thugs that were there besides Snake Eyes, and he didn't know if they were in or out of the building. His ears were ringing, and the sweat was pouring off his brow, he had no idea how he was still standing as he limped through the warehouse quietly. He ducked into a room and took a break, wiping his forehead with his shirt, he looked at the blood and sweat that was running down his face, and he prayed that he'd at least be able to assure himself that Temperance and Ace were safe before he slipped into shock. He walked down the hallway a bit more, and moved swiftly into an empty room. He moved across the wall, trying to catch his breath, he knew that it wouldn't be long before the pain completely took over him. He slid across the wall, nearly tripping over something in the process, he made it to the corner, using the two walls to hold himself up, he began to feel nauseated.

Dizziness began to take over, and he fell onto his side, the gun still grasped in his hand as he tumbled over several objects, landing on his side, he vomited. "Oh God…" He groaned as he landed on his side, the pain in his abdomen ripping through his body as he noted the dark red color of his vomit. He tried desperately not to groan, his vision growing darker as he allowed his mind to drift to another time and place, willing himself to move another inch, finding that he couldn't.

**_St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come around. Something is lost and must be found._**

Harding walked quietly and quickly through the warehouse, listening for sounds. He kept his flashlight low as not to arouse suspicion. It occurred to him that he could be shot right now, in the dark and never even know what had happened, but he was positive that this was the right place, and he was waiting to be ambushed, placing his senses on high alert.

He said a silent prayer of hope that Temperance had listened to him and had not followed his lead into the building. He did not want to be responsible for her getting hurt or killed, and he trusted that if anyone were to approach her at the car, she'd be able to defend herself, she did have a gun in the car with her, and she had the keys. He rounded the corner, hearing nothing, he spotted a freezer in the distance. He could tell by the dust on the floor that there had been movement in this area, and when his eyes spotted a red spot on the floor, his heart sank. It wasn't a lot of blood, but it was blood nonetheless. He clenched his jaw and walked carefully toward the freezer, noting the drag marks on the floor, he was dreading what he would find in that freezer. He held his breath as he lifted the flashlight to the window, immediately he noticed that someone was tied up inside. He opened the door slowly and his eyes immediately moved to the blood on the floor. He scanned his flashlight over the two men, struggling against their bonds, he recognized that they had been tied professionally, in a way that would keep them from escaping. He sensed that Booth had something to do with it, and turned to leave against the men's protests around the bits of cloth in their mouth.

He was about to leave the room, when he felt an arm on his. Swiftly, he yanked the man that had grabbed him, slamming him full force into the metal door. He flipped open his handcuffs, pushed the man's now unconscious body inside, and quickly handcuffed him to one of the other men. As he stepped out of the freezer, he closed and secured it, ensuring that it was locked. He then stealthily continued his search.

**_St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come around. Something is lost and must be found._**

Temperance listened carefully as she walked through the hallways of the warehouse. She was trembling as she walked, trying her best to remain as quiet as possible. She held the poker chip in her hand, clenched firmly in her grasp as she looked around. She hoped she'd find Harding first, before he found her, but mostly for safety reasons. The last thing she wanted to happen was to be shot by her own partner.

Partner.

She stopped as her breath caught in her throat. Since when had she been thinking of Harding as her partner? Booth was her partner. Dead or alive, he was the only partner she ever wanted to have. She took a slow, cleansing breath as she looked around. She felt the poker chip in her hand and though she had no idea what it meant, she had begun to piece together the possibility that Booth could actually be alive. She questioned it with every fiber of her being, the possibility of Booth being alive seemed absolutely impossible in her mind. She would have known, had to have known… but there were so many coincidences that were pushing her in that direction, so many incidents and conversations with her daughter, and Harding. He was so intrinsically linked to her, and the mere hope that she would find him alive was enough to send her into a whirlwind of speculation and questioning that she wasn't willing to fathom until she had her daughter in her arms, alive.

Regardless of the possibility of an eventual let down when she learned that this man who had laid his life down for her daughter being Booth... she owed it to him to find him, to thank him. She dreaded the moment when she looked into the strangers eyes only to learn that it wasn't the man she loved that was protecting her, but this 'Deuce' man. She should be angry at him, for if he hadn't put his nose where it didn't belong, her daughter would be at home and safe, sleeping peacefully, and on the other hand… if this hadn't happened, she'd never have the opportunity to find the man that killed her partner.

She turned the corner, and gasped, as she was suddenly staring directly into the barrel of a gun. "Doctor Brennan. You're even prettier than in your pictures." The man's voice hissed as her gun was pulled from her grasp in one quick movement. She had recognized those cold, soulless eyes, and had no defense when she was grabbed securely in his arms as he held the gun to her head.

**_St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come around. Something is lost and must be found._**

_"Well, how long are you going to be gone?" Temperance asked her partner. It had been the same line of questioning since he had told her about the mission, and he gave her an exasperated look as they entered the diner, refusing to answer it once again. "I mean… I know you don't know… but at least give me a time frame."_

_"Why, so you can plan my welcome home party?" He asked with a sarcastic smile that made her eyes a bit more playful as she tried to defend herself._

_"You wish," she said, a playful smack on his arm made his smile widen as they headed toward their usual table in the back. Without a second thought or a second glance, she moved around the other side and slid into her chair, finding her partner in his chair, grinning back at her. The waitress was walking toward them; she stopped as Temperance nodded, and turned back to put their usual orders in. Her focus was then immediately on her partner once again. "I just want to know," she shrugged. "I don't like surprises."_

_"You don't like surprises?" He asked playfully. "That's... surprising." He laughed at his joke, and she smiled at his response._

_Silence surrounded them for a few long moments; Temperance couldn't help but feel slightly anxious. She wasn't accustomed to Booth not filling her in on every detail of his life – whether it was personal or professional. She smiled shyly as she noticed him watching her; she held his gaze until the waitress returned with their orders._

_"So," she mused, filling the silence as she reached over to Seeley's plate and grabbed a French fry. "This is the 'last supper', right?" she teased._

_He watched her carefully as she chewed on the stolen French fry – he could tell she was nervous, almost uneasy, which was extremely unsettling for him. "Yeah, Bones, I guess it is," Booth replied as he took a sip of the lukewarm diner-brand coffee. His thoughts strayed to the catholic teachings, and the words that Jesus spoke resonated in his head. 'Do this in remembrance of me', he thought to himself. With that thought, he straightened in his seat. "Listen to me, Temperance," he said a moment later._

_She instantly tried to avoid eye contact at the sound of her first name, and became focused on her food. She knew she had been caught in her anxious state, and tried to hide it from him, though she knew it was impossible. He scooted the chair closer to the table; he reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, guiding her eyes back to his. "Bones," Booth said softly, seriously. "You know that I'd tell you if I could. You have to trust me on that."_

_"I know," she replied, her voice a near whisper. "I know that you'd never betray me… betray my trust, or our partnership," Temperance added with a smile. Her eyes danced almost mischievously._

_"What?" Booth asked, recognizing the hint of a smile on her lips._

_"Last supper… betrayal…," she answered simply._

_He nodded. "I'd sooner die than betray you, Temperance," Booth said seriously, feeling her cheek become hot beneath his palm. She reached up and cupped her hand over his. Their eyes were locked in an intense gaze. "I'd couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you, or put you in danger… I'd rather die than break your heart," he added._

_She maneuvered her hand so she held his firmly in her grip. Temperance squeezed his hand softly; tears lined her crystal blue eyes. "I still wish you could give me something to go on… something to … focus on while you're gone, Booth." Her voice was a simple whisper._

_"Seeing isn't always believing, Temperance," Booth explained, the smile returning to his face. He pulled his hand back from hers – he wanted to tell her everything about the mission, but if he did and something happened… if the targets went after her, or she got hurt… he'd never be able to live with it. It was better if she didn't know. He watched her as her eyes fell to the gold chain around his neck._

_She sighed, swallowing her tears. "Tell me about St. Christopher again, Booth."_

_He smiled as he pulled the chain from where it was tucked into his shirt, feeling the cool metal of the medallion in his palm. "St. Christopher," he explained, "was a man who was brave, noble… kind, he was a martyr... one of the stories of St. Christopher includes one where he was crossing a river… and when he was crossing the river, there was a child who asked to be carried across it. When Christopher put the child on his shoulders, he found that the child was extremely heavy. He struggled across the river with the child, reaching the other side he had said that it felt as if the whole world had been on his shoulders… and the legend says… that the child was Jesus, the son of God… carrying with him, the entire world."_

_"But that's just a parable." Temperance replied, her eyes looking directly into Booth's, she could see the seriousness in his eyes as she allowed her rational mind to explain. "It would be impossible to actually carry the entire world on ones shoulders, obviously."_

_"He's the patron saint of travelers, Bones. He watches us, keeps us safe when we travel." Booth explained to his partner, sitting back, he watched her mouth open to most likely go into a diatribe about the ridiculousness of superstition, when her mouth closed, and her eyes softened and a smile tugged at her lips. "It's very appropriate, Booth. Especially for you," She replied. The waitress brought out the pie that they hadn't ordered, but was the next step in their routine and set it down in front of Booth. She placed a cup of coffee in front of Temperance._

_"Thanks, Ally." Booth replied as he smiled at Temperance and tilted his head slightly, as he took a scoop of the pie. "Especially for me?" He asked, placing the forkful of pie into his mouth, he watched as she paused before her reply._

_Temperance watched him for a few moments, trying to choose her words wisely. "You're going on a mission, Booth. You need something to protect you… while you have your superstitions, I…" She paused, seeing the look in his eyes that suggested he was just biding his time to have his argument. "I admire that you have something that you can completely believe in, Booth. Something you can believe in, without question. I wish I had something like that," She confessed, their eyes locking as his softened, the words that she had spoken were so clear, and so sincere, that he had been taken aback by her honesty._

_He broke eye contact after a moment and swallowed the second bite of pie as he tucked the medal back into his shirt; it fell back to its normal home, right above his heart. He placed his right hand over his heart as his eyes lifted to hers, locking. "You do, Temperance. You believe in… without question… your science. When you use science to find the truth, you rarely question its validity."_

_"Science is an honest field, Booth. Science rarely lies… but science isn't going to protect me, is it?"_

_Booth laughed as he sat back in his chair, tapping the end of his fork on the table as he grinned brightly at her. "Nope," He said playfully, watching her eyes sparkle across the table at him. "That's what I'm here for." His reply brought a smile to her face, and the seriousness of their conversation slipped away silently as their conversation took on a more comfortable topic._

Booth was suddenly startled out of his reverie by the sound of shouting nearby. It was angry, hateful shouting as if someone was hurting someone, someone was threatening someone. He couldn't think clearly, the pain in his abdomen was a near blinding pain, and he couldn't remember for a moment where he was, his eyes unable to focus as he lie on his side. He heard the voice again, louder than a moment ago, shouting to someone. Immediately it registered. That voice was Snake Eyes, and he was shouting for Ace. They were there… they were in the building, and it took Booth a moment, but he realized that Snake Eyes was boasting about capturing someone, capturing…someone… he felt faint as he rest his head on the floor once more, trying to listen closely to the words that Snake Eyes was spewing as he tried desperately to find something to push the strength that he did have, to fight.

**_St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come around. Something is lost and must be found._**

His grip around Temperance's neck was tight, and she whimpered slightly as he pulled her against his body. She could smell the stench of liquor and cigarettes on his breath with each shout through the empty warehouse. She knew that if she escaped, she'd have little chance of survival, for he'd only shoot her retreating form, so she chose instead to rely on Harding to do something, and if she had the opportunity to save herself, she would, but it didn't appear that chance would be coming any time soon.

"Acey! I got your partner here… she's a pretty one!" He shouted as he tightened his grip around her neck, choking her slightly, she lifted her hands to his arm, and pulled to loosen his grip slightly. He only held her tighter. "Acey, you better show yourself, or I'm going to be decorating the walls with her brains!" He shouted, his voice thick with anger and hatred as he pulled her around the halls of the warehouse, preparing to find the FBI agent that he knew was wandering around. 'You're not gonna find them, Acey… my men are going to get to you before you get to them!" He shouted. "That little girl… she screams like a champ…" He laughed wickedly as he heard Temperance whimper beneath his arm. "That's right, sweetie… that little girl of yours… she's going to get to see her daddy die…" He said in her ear, as the sound of a gun hammer in the dark broke his concentration. He looked up to see the beam of light from a window above them shining down on the barrel of a gun pointed directly at them. "Acey…" He laughed. "Nice of you to join us."

"Guess a-fucking-gain…" Booth said angrily as he stepped out of the shadows and into the light, in full view of Snake Eyes and Temperance.

**_St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come around. Something is lost and must be found._**

If Temperance could breathe or even think, she would have gasped. Her eyes widened at the sight, and she was feeling incredibly light headed. She wasn't sure if it was from the lack of oxygen from being held so tightly, or from the complete and utter shock at seeing him standing there, gun drawn, anger pain lining his thinned face, but it was the same face, the same brown eyes, though much sadder than she had ever seen them before, they were the same, the same eyes that he shared with her daughter, the same eyes that haunted her every night in her dreams.

"Bones, you alright?" Booth panted, the completely aware of the look of shock on both her face, and the face of her captor, his eyes were burning into hers. She couldn't answer with a nod, or a word, but through the shock, he could see her reply.

"Deuce!" Ace's voice broke the stare as the gun that Snake Eyes held settled on Temperance's temple.

"Jesus, Ace… don't do that!" Booth panted as he held his gun steady on the man across from him, sweat was pouring from his face, and he felt so cold, but he kept his aim on the man holding Temperance.

"Deuce, drop your gun!"

"You drop your gun! I have a good shot…" He panted.

"Deuce! Seriously… put the gun down!" Ace shouted as he became visible from the shadows, his gun pointing directly at Snake Eyes and Temperance.

"You drop your gun, Ace!" Booth shouted.

"How about you both drop your guns, or I blow this little dear's head off?" Snake Eyes growled as he held Temperance tighter.

Booth straightened his shot and pulled the hammer back on his gun. "You fucking even try to hurt her, and I swear to God almighty I will blow your brains out!" Booth exclaimed.

"Oh Deuce… I've been waiting for this moment for years…" He laughed a sickening laugh that sent a shiver down his spine. He could see the despair in Temperance's face, and his heart was twisting in his chest at the look of pain.

"Let her go!" Booth exclaimed. "You have me!"

"Deuce! Put the gun down!" Ace shouted again.

"Stop it, kid! Just hold your aim, he takes one wrong move, take your shot!" Booth shouted. "You have me, Gomez, just… shoot me, and this will all be over!" Booth exclaimed, his gun trained expertly on the middle of the man's forehead, though he could see by the look in his eyes that he was crazy, he was unpredictable, and he was absolutely serious. He could see that Temperance wasn't doing well, tears were rolling down her cheeks as the man held her, she was gasping for air as she stared into his eyes. "Just let her go, and kill me!"

"You think I'm going to pull this gun away from her, so that you have the opportunity to shoot? Are you kidding me? You think I'm stupid?" Snake Eyes shouted angrily. "My men are going to take you out, Deuce… they're probably right behind you…" He said with a sinister grin. "Besides… I kill her, and that will kill you, don't you think? The love of your life killed by the man whose life you ruined."

"You ruined your own life, you son of a bitch! Your brother was nothing but a two bit gangster, and you're no better than him!" Booth screamed.

"Deuce!" Ace let out a warning as Booth dropped his gun to his side.

"Your brother deserved to die! He deserved to die, and you deserve to die too! You took the life of an innocent mother, and now you're going to try to do it again? You kidnap her daughter, and you think that makes you a better man than your brother? Your brother deserved to die! He deserved to die! And if I had the chance, I'd shoot him again!" Booth screamed, not noticing how pale Temperance was becoming, her breathing more erratic as the man holding her gripped her tighter. She could feel the gun wavering, she could feel it slipping off her temple. She knew that if he said one more thing, that gun would no longer be pointing at her.

"SHUT UP!" He screamed, his face red and angry as his hand trembled on the gun he had on Temperance. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He screamed.

Booth lifted his gun and pushed the safety on. He took the cartridge out and held it in a separate hand than the gun. No longer armed, he held his hands out in surrender. "You can shoot me… or you can shoot her, Gomez. Because I know for a fact that you'll only be able to get one shot off…" He said, dropping the gun and cartridge, Booth held his hands out. "Would you rather shoot her?" He asked, taking a step closer, his eyes stayed set on his, though the steps he was taking was filled with excruciating pain. "Would you rather shoot a woman who has absolutely nothing to do with what is between you and I… a woman who has done nothing to you… a woman with a child, Gomez… a child who is young… like you were when your brother was killed… a baby…" He whispered, taking another step. "Or would you rather kill me?" he asked, noticing that Temperance was starting to hyperventilate. Her eyes were wide with fear as the man let the gun slip from her head as he contemplated what Booth was saying. "Would you rather kill the man who shot your brother in cold blood…" He growled. "And liked it?"

"YOU SON OF A…" Snake Eyes screamed, his gun moving quickly, but before it could swing fully to point at Booth, Temperance had lifted her foot and kicked him in the knee, feeling a satisfying crunch against her heel, it sent his hand flying in the air as the gun slid across the room. Booth took that moment to leap at the man who was holding Temperance hostage, and Ace holstered his weapon and ran to their aid. Piled upon one another, the fight continued in a tangle of arms and legs as Harding and Booth pulled Temperance free of the man's hold, struggling for control, someone managed to pull Ace's gun from his holster, and the fight for control was now in the hands of the person who held that weapon.

**_St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come around. Something is lost… _**

A shot rang out in the warehouse, and the little girl hiding jumped at the sound. The shouting had stopped, the struggling had ceased, and the last thing that Antonia heard, was the terror filled scream of a woman, before she covered her ears and held her breath… waiting to be rescued.


	31. Martyr By Numbers

**Update 31- Martyr By Numbers**

As soon as the gun had gone off, all four bodies had slumped to the floor. The struggle was gone, and only two people were moving. "NO!" Temperance screamed, the body of Snake Eyes was lifeless and blood was everywhere. "No! God! No!" She screamed as she started pulling on the heavier man who was crushing the other man with his dead weight, though no sound came from beneath Snake Eyes. She was in full panic mode immediately as she began to hyperventilate and scream franticly. "GET HIM OFF! GET HIM OFF!" She screamed as Harding rolled to the side disoriented, his hand still on the gun as he holstered it quickly. "Christopher! Get him off!" She screamed. Her breathing was erratic and tears were streaming down her face as she gripped the dead man with her hands and pulled. "Get him off of him, now!" She screamed.

Harding grabbed the man's arm and yanked him hard, rolling him over, he checked his pulse. Between the pulse and the gaping hole in the man's abdomen, it was obvious that he was dead. Harding looked up, and found Temperance was kneeling beside booth, her hands on his face as she ran her fingertips over his features. "Does he have a pulse?" He asked.

"I… I… I…" She stammered as she sobbed over Booth. His eyes were closed, and he looked almost peaceful.

"Temperance! Does he have a pulse?" Harding shouted as he dropped the other man's arms and moved to the other side of Booth. "Deuce… Deuce look at me!" Harding said as he took the man's pulse, finding a weak pulse, he tapped his cheek with his hand. "Deuce, come on, man!"

"NOT DEUCE!" She screamed suddenly, Harding lifted his eyes to hers, he could see the cold anger within them. "IT IS BOOTH!" She shouted as she watched Harding, she pushed his hands away from Booth as she pressed her hands into his skin, she ran her hand over his forehead and looked up at Harding, and suddenly began to grope at his clothing. "Was he shot? He's hurt! He's hurt! Get his shirt off! Did you shoot him? You son of a bitch!" She screamed as she pulled at his clothes, pulling on him, he was soaked with the blood of Snake Eyes, and soaked with his own blood, and he was in very bad shape. His cheek was cut and swollen, and his body was so badly bruised. "Please! Please Booth! Wake up!" She screamed, tears dropping from her eyes onto his face as she pulled at him. The tears tracked across his skin and made little trails in the dirt that was on his face. "Please, Booth!" She exclaimed as suddenly, his eyes opened wide, and he took a sharp, deep breath, finding himself staring into the eyes of the one person he never thought he'd see this close up again.

"Bones…" he panted as he closed his eyes and cringed. "God… Bones…" He grunted again as he rolled toward her, the pressure of his broken ribs alleviated slightly. "Toni…" He whispered.

"Booth, where is Antonia?" Harding asked, his eyes meeting with Temperance's as she tried to control her sobs, the words from his lips were so full of love, and she had no way of controlling the wave after wave of emotion that was taking her over.

"Bones… stop…crying, stop crying…please…" He said, trying to breathe. "Toni…Get Toni…"

"Booth, tell me where she is!" Harding exclaimed. He moved to grab Booth's shoulder to look him in the eyes, but Temperance growled and slapped him.

"Don't you dare touch him!" She exclaimed angrily. "Booth, do you know where Antonia is?" She sobbed.

"I'm tired…" He groaned as he rolled back onto his back, he lifted his hand and quickly grabbed Temperance's. "I'm so tired." He said as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Don't you dare do this, Booth!" She shouted. "Don't you dare go to sleep! Where is Antonia?"

"Saint Anthony." He whispered, looking up, his eyes clouding over as he stared at Christopher, his eyes looked surprised, or worried. It was hard to tell through the painful expression on his face. "I think you shot me." He whispered, his hand moving to his side, touching the wet bloody spot at his hip.

"Booth! Focus! Antonia! Where is Antonia?"

"Saint Anthony." Both replied. "Please…" He groaned as he moved his hand, which was now covered in blood from the flesh wound on his side, he put his hand on Temperance's arm. "Please…" He caught her eyes with his and he began to sob, his blood soaking her shirt and her skin as he gripped her tightly, trying to focus on what he was trying to say.

"Booth… please…" She sniffed, her tears starting anew. "Please!" She exclaimed again, noticing the silver chain around his neck, her throat constricted. Suddenly, something took over her, and she pushed his shoulder hard, slamming him flat onto the ground, she grabbed hold of the medal, she brought her face close to him. "WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER!?" She screamed in his face as he continued to sob. "TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" She screamed. "WHERE IS SHE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" She screamed as suddenly, Harding grabbed her shoulder and pulled her up, she wrenched away from him. "Don't touch me! He knows where she is! He knows where she is and he won't tell me! I need her! I need her now!" She screamed.

"I'm sorry!" Booth sobbed, everything was so dim, and all he could see was how beautiful she was to him. Even when she screamed at him, the sound of her voice made his heart beat faster. He could feel her fingertips on his skin. "I'm so sorry, Bones!" He sobbed.

"Just tell me where she is!" Harding exclaimed as the sound of the SWAT team could be heard approaching. "For God's sake, Deuce!"

"She's upstairs!" He exclaimed, to no one in particular. "Call for Saint Anthony… Saint Anthony…she'll come out…" He breathed, watching Temperance and Harding exchange a look.

"I'll go get her, you stay here… get him help when the SWAT team gets here!" Harding exclaimed.

"No!" She exclaimed as she started to stand up, her hand was suddenly grasped by Booth's. "I need to go find her."

"Please don't leave me." Booth said as he started to tremble. "Please don't leave me…I don't want to die alone… please…" He whispered as she knelt beside him, her eyes on Harding.

"Go… go get her…" She said, watching Harding take off for the stairs, she leaned down and put her hands on his face and touched her forehead to his.

"You are not dying." She whispered. "Do you hear me, Booth? You are not dying!"

"I'm pretty sure that I am." He whispered, his voice weak with pain. "I'm sorry, Bones… I'm so sorry…"

"Shh…" She whispered as she just stared into his eyes. "Don't talk."

"I'm so sleepy…" He whispered. "So sleepy."

"Don't fall asleep, Booth…" She whispered. "Don't sleep, stay with me here… come on…just watch my eyes… watch my eyes and stay awake."

"You're beautiful." He whispered, cringing from the sharp pain in his chest. "I don't deserve you."

"Hush." She said tenderly, laying her hand on his cheek, she kept eye contact with him as he stared into her eyes. "Just breathe… Booth… just keep breathing…" She whispered.

"Do you hate me?" He whispered, his eyes red with sadness, his body completely giving out on him, he felt the warmth of her hands and let the feeling keep him warm as he trembled beneath her touch. "Do you hate me, Bones?"

"I don't hate you. I don't hate you… I promise, I don't hate you."

"I am sorry…" He said as he started to breathe deeply, his sobs becoming almost like heaves as he moved to his side. He started to cough violently as she held his shoulder. His sobs and coughs were breaking her heart, and she could see the pain he was in. "I'm so sorry…"

"Shh… just try to relax… try to relax, Booth." She said soothingly, holding his shoulder as he tried to gain control of his breath, she moved so that she was lying on the floor, facing him as he brought his eyes up to meet hers. She could hear the SWAT team coming around, they had noticed that the only two people in the room were the two lying on the floor and approached them quickly. "He needs medical attention!" She exclaimed as the four men who had come in approached them. "He needs medical attention now!" She shouted, when suddenly the sound of Antonia's screams filled the warehouse.

"Toni…" Booth gasped between coughs as Temperance sat up, her hand never leaving Booth's as she watched Harding appear holding her daughter. She looked down at Booth. "Go, Bones… go to her…" He whispered as he continued coughing as several SWAT team members looked over the scene, securing the perimeter as they called for medical assistance.

Temperance approached Harding quickly, though hesitant to leave Booth's side, she needed to see her daughter, to hold her, feel that she was alive. Antonia screamed on top of her lungs as she punched Harding in his chest, she was wild and angry, and her screams were unintelligible. "Is she okay?" Temperance exclaimed as she managed to make it to Harding, reaching for her daughter.

"NO! NO! DEUCE! DEUCE! NO!" She screamed as tears ran down her anger reddened face. "DEUCE!" She exclaimed, kicking and punching Harding, he refused to release her for a moment as he tipped her into her mother's arms.

"Antonia, stop!" Temperance exclaimed. "Antonia! It's mommy! Stop!"

"DEUCE! DEUCE!" Her voice was grating and full of fear and terror. "DEUCE!" She kicked at her mother, though Temperance held her tightly.

"Bring her to him!" Harding exclaimed.

"Bring her…?"

"She's not going to stop screaming until she sees he's here!" Harding shouted over the screaming of the little girl.

"He's… Antonia, I need you to stop! Please! Please stop for mommy!" Temperance panicked as she rocked the fighting girl. "Please, please stop!"

"NO!" She continued to scream as Temperance turned and nearly ran toward Booth with the little girl. Temperance could see that he was still awake, his eyes filled with a broken terror. "DEUCE!"

"He's right here!" She exclaimed as she dropped to her knees hard, holding the little girl, she rolled from her mother's hands and her hands immediately gripped onto Booth's shirt as she pulled her body into him. Booth sucked in a breath of pain as she slammed her knees into him, but his arm went instinctively around her. His eyes clashed with Temperance's and it was that moment that she knew everything. All of the pain that was in her daughter's heart had been shared by this man, this man who had laid his life on the line to rescue her. A man who had caused her mother more pain than could ever be imagined, this man that her mother loved with all of her heart, a love of which the little girl knew nothing of. Booth could see the pain in Temperance's eyes, the dull sparkle in their depths were shining brightly as he held the little girl in his arms, his lips pressing on her head as he let her sob uncontrollably into him.

"I'm right here…" He whispered. "I'm here…" He said to her again and again, though his eyes never left Temperance's.

"You… are…not going to die." She whispered, her eyes narrowing into a glare, her teeth gritting as she stared into his eyes. "Do you hear me, Seeley Booth? Do you understand? You will not leave her! You will not die!" She whispered, as a stream of EMTs entered the building, rushing to the man on the floor holding the little girl, and the dead man that lie beside them. Temperance was pushed back by the technicians, her body pushing back into Harding as he supported her for a moment, before she realized that the EMTs were trying in vain to pull the little girl from Booth, Antonia began to scream again, louder and angrier than before. "Antonia!" Temperance exclaimed as she reached for her daughter, but her grip was tight on Booth's shirt, and as one of the EMTs attempted to get Temperance to remove the little girl's fingers from her grip so that they could bring her to her own gurney, she screamed angrily for Booth, who was being lifted onto his own with Antonia still holding on, his vitals checked, his wounds tended by the EMTs. Temperance tried to pull the little girl from her grip on Booth, but her hold was tight and her fingers were digging into his skin. "Antonia! Baby! Please!" Temperance exclaimed as the little girl continued to scream, her grip tighter.

"Toni…" Booth said, his voice was booming suddenly as the little girl took a deep breath and opened her eyes, looking directly into his. It was almost as if he had frightened her silent, but she was completely focused on him. "Please…" he whispered, closing his eyes for a moment as a sob choked out of his lungs. "Please go with mommy."

"If I let you go…" She whimpered. "If I let you go, you'll leave me." She exclaimed, her crying starting anew.

"I won't leave you." He said weakly. "I'm always with you… whether you can see me or not, I'm there, Toni…" He said as the little girl trembled in his arms.

"Ma'am, we need to get her on her own gurney." One of the EMTs said to Temperance as she stopped pulling on her daughter for a moment as Booth calmed her.

"You're going to leave me!" Antonia exclaimed. "You're going to leave and go to heaven!" She accused.

"Go with Mommy, Antonia." Booth said, avoiding the statement she made. "Deuce is sleepy… you're sleepy too…"

"No!" She shouted as she pulled at his shirt again. "Please don't leave me! Please!" She screamed desperately. Booth lifted his hand to her gripping hands. She was so warm against his clammy body, and he could feel the darkness slipping in. The EMTs were starting to get angry, and he was slipping away quickly. "Deuce! Deuce!" She sobbed.

"I love you…" he whispered. "I'm with you, Toni… take care of mama… tell her that I love her, too." He whispered, his eyes slipping closed as the little girl noticed his grip on her hand had loosened. His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving, and her hands released him in surprise.

"NO!" Antonia screamed as the EMTs grabbed the gurney, just as Temperance pulled her daughter from the place beside Booth, and the gurney was pulled toward the exit, as they were left with a screaming, struggling girl, whose heart was breaking as they carted away her best friend right before her very eyes.


	32. Bones

**Update 32- Bones**

_The window slid open easier than he had expected. He tried as hard as he could to make as little noise as possible, but even with his stealth quickness and almost snake-like slither, every move of his lean body, to his ears, sounded like a freight train barreling through a tunnel. He had only wanted a peek; just a few seconds for his eyes to see her. He only needed a glimpse so that he would know she was there... living, breathing, surviving without him. He had been surprised to see that the window was unlocked. It was risky for him to be doing this; there was so much at stake. But the unlocked window taunted him over and over again as he stood staring at the metal hinge. And without another thought, he was crawling through the tight space._

_His feet hit the wood floor with a quiet thud, and he froze in place, waiting to be discovered, but the apartment remained quiet. He left the window open slightly and slowly crossed the small room that was now a home office. Entering the hallway, he immediately turned toward the living room. His eyes scanned the room and he froze in place for the second time as he spotted her still figure. She was curled up in an oversized wing-backed chair, her breath releasing in small, soft puffs of air. She looked so peaceful as she slept; her beautiful face free of worry lines. He stood at the threshold of the living room, unable to move forward as he watched her for what felt like an eternity. His insides were screaming to go to her, tell her he was alive, take her in his arms and hold her, but he remained motionless._

_He glanced to the clock on the wall, surprised to see that it was still so early in the evening for the Temperance Brennan he knew to be sleeping. He was so used to seeing her in her office at the Jeffersonian until the wee hours of the morning, it almost seemed strange to see her here at this early hour. She was probably just taking a little nap before going back to the lab, he reasoned. Not wanting to stick around long enough for her to wake and find him there, he sighed, took one last, longing look, and turned around, retreating back down the hallway. He was about the take a left into the office to make his escape out of the window from which he came, when a flash of something pink to his right caught his eye. He stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned._

_The bedroom from across the hallway from where he stood, which used to be his guest room, was no longer painted solid white, but was now a light shade of pink. A soft light shone from within the room, lighting the pink walls dimly, though giving off enough light for him to notice the difference in the color. Confused, he narrowed his eyes and stepped toward the room, slowly pushing the door open as he entered. His eyes immediately landed on the white crib at the same moment that his heart dropped into his stomach._

_Inching toward the baby bed, he peered over the edge, and was shocked to see a set of warm, chocolate brown eyes belonging to the most beautiful baby girl he'd ever seen, staring back up at him. The surprise jump-started his heart, which flew from his stomach and into his throat. Shaking his head in awe and wonderment, he rested his hands atop the side rail and fought back the tears that were now clouding his eyes._

_"Oh, Bones... what did you do?" He whispered quietly, reaching his hand slowly into the crib._

_It took less than a second, and he certainly didn't expect for her to latch her tiny hand onto his finger. It was only that one touch, and he was a goner. A sound escaped him, something somewhere between a sob and a laugh, and he had to cover his mouth with his free hand. His mind was racing; his thoughts flying through his head in a close race with the frantic beats of his heart which was thumping against his chest at a mile a minute._

_"Listen, Bones, if I don't make it…"_

_"Booth, you're gonna be fine."_

_"Yeah, but if I'm not… I want you to have my stuff. You know, for a kid."_

_"Booth."_

_"I want you to. You're gonna be a really good mom."_

_" You're gonna be fine, Booth. I'll be right here."_

_"I'm ready."_

_The conversation from so long ago flooded his mind unexpectedly, jarring him. Surely she hadn't, he started to think, stopping himself as his eyes remained locked on the tiny baby staring up at him, and the truth could not be denied. The baby he now realized without a doubt in that moment, was his. A daughter. His daughter. **Their** daughter._

_His chest ached with the surprise, wonder, and sadness of it all. What was he to do now? He was dead to Bones; to almost everyone in his life now. He had been gone so long with little choice, that it would just be wrong to come back into their lives now, wouldn't it? Should he walk away and never come back now that he'd seen that Bones was okay? Maybe he could have... if he hadn't have ever set foot in this nursery, if he had never looked into the eyes of his daughter, if he had never touched her tiny hand, or smiled at her as she gazed up at him. No, he couldn't walk away now. So, where did that leave him? What were his options now? The questions jumbled themselves in his mind. Lost in his thoughts, he was suddenly shaken from them when the tiny baby below him let out a tiny sigh as she yawned. His eyes focused on hers, and immediately he could feel a connection as she gazed back into his._

_He could not think of anything else but this new baby; this pink bundle of happiness that was clutching his hand like a plea, a lifeline. He blinked away the wetness from his eyes and ran his thumb along the baby's soft hand. And he began to hum._

_The sound was soft and melodic; quiet enough that it could not be heard beyond the partially closed door of the warm pink room. He smiled as the baby's eyes gently closed as he soothed her. Within moments she was asleep. He could have slipped quietly from the room then, but he couldn't move. He was mesmerized by the roundness of her cheeks and the way his skin warmed beneath her feather weight touch. He just needed a few minutes more to hold her hand and hum to her softly before it was time to leave and figure out how he was going to be a part of this precious child's life. He felt her fingertips beneath his hand, so soft and warm, and she smelled so clean and so new, so perfect. His voice vibrated gently and deeply, floating through the air, sailing through the room. He hummed, feeling her hand in his as he noticed his voice becoming higher. It raised an octave, and when he stopped humming, he realized that it wasn't his voice at all._

_It was someone else._

_Bones?_

He could hear her voice clearly, humming, softly humming the same tune that he had been humming, so softly, so beautifully. For a moment, he thought he could be in heaven, though he couldn't move and there was darkness, so much darkness where he was right now. He was tired, thirsty… alone? The humming had stopped, and there was nothing.

Until there wasn't.

A persistent beeping worked its way into his psyche, a gagging sensation in his throat. Pain, all over… there was pain and the smell of the baby was gone from his senses, replaced with the scent of antiseptic and darkness, and he was cold, so cold. Was he dead? The humming started again, soft at first, becoming slightly louder, invading his senses, he could feel the softness of something in his hand. Was he dreaming? Was he still dreaming of holding that sweet, beautiful baby's hand?

He wanted to slip back into his dreams, they were painless and perfect, but he needed to see if what he thought was true was reality. Had she stayed with him? Had she gone? Was he still dreaming? His eyes flitted open, the room too bright to keep them open long, but he caught sight of dark hair, a woman. He wanted to say her name, wanted to whisper, but his throat was constricted by something and he felt like he was choking, and wanted to cough. He held his breath, and the machine beside his bed began to make an alarmingly loud noise, so he released it, released it slowly so it wasn't obvious that he was awake. He wasn't ready to face her, if it was indeed her that was sitting beside him, he tried again to open his eyes, the humming was coming from that direction, and it looked like her through his foggy haze, and her hand was extended over the bed, holding his hand, she was holding his hand. His hand, the hand of the man who had lied to her, to her daughter, to himself, to everyone. Why was she holding his hand?

Humming, she was humming so softly, as if she were trying to be quiet. Quiet for him? Quiet for… He noticed then that she was holding something, someone… Antonia. She was holding his hand, and gently, oh so gently rocking her baby girl, her daughter…their daughter. Antonia…. Baby… and immediately, it all came flooding back. Every single moment of the kidnapping had come barreling through his brain at a fast, relentless pace and slamming into his mind full force as he started to feel stressed. He could feel his pulse begin to race; the machine's beeping was becoming louder. He tried to speak, but couldn't. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe, and he started to choke.

"Booth!" Temperance's voice broke through the cloud of pain and pain medications. "Booth, you have to relax… you have to stop, Booth." She said sternly to him. He couldn't tell if it was reality, or a dream. He could hear her voice, hear her calling him, he could hear her, but he couldn't see her, get to her, and touch her. It had to be a dream; it had to be a dream. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide, and he sucked in a sharp breath and he took in the sight of her standing over him. In her arms, she cradled Antonia, dressed in a hospital gown and sleeping soundly in her mother's arms, but in her eyes there lie no anger, hatred, only concern. She put her free hand on his forehead and looked directly in his eyes. "Booth, you have a tube down your throat… you can't struggle… stop… it's okay, don't panic… don't panic…" She soothed, as he tried to comprehend what she was saying. "You had stopped breathing a couple of times." She whispered. "They kept the breathing tube in just in case…" Her voice cracked as she stared into his concerned eyes, her own were quickly filling with tears. "In case you… didn't wake up." She said as she grabbed his hand with her free hand and clasped it tightly, bringing it to her lips, he felt her tender kiss on his skin. "Hang on…" She whispered as she turned to find a nurse, her hand leaving his for just a moment as she pushed the call button for the nurse. Her hand went immediately to his, and she held it tightly. "I am going to tell them to take the tube out." She whispered, holding his hand tightly.

Booth watched her curiously as her eyes explored his. She would now and then look at his face as a whole, but for the most part, she kept her eyes directly on his. She had a look in her eyes that was hard to discern. He had expected anger or even hatred, he almost hadn't expected her to even want to see him, so the longer she stood there staring at him, the stranger it was to not know that look in her eyes. It was a mixture of concern, happiness, surprise, understanding. There was no confusion, no sadness, no fear. She was almost motherly to him, she was kind and tender, and he couldn't help but feel his anxiety rising in his chest once again. His eyes flicked to the sleeping girl in her arms, and back to her, and he watched as a tender smile lifted on her lips.

"She's alright." Temperance whispered, rubbing her thumb across his hand. "She'll be alright." Temperance paused, watching as his eyes filled with tears. "No, Booth… stop…" She whispered as she released his hand and pulled a tissue from the table beside the bed. Leaning carefully over him, she wiped the stray tear from his eye as he took a slow deep breath. She smiled tenderly at him. "You cannot blame yourself for this, Booth."

_That's for you to do, Bones._

"She will be alright. She misses you… I think." She whispered, fearing to elaborate on her daughter's condition. She didn't want to make him upset, and she knew that he would become upset if he knew the truth. The time would come, and she knew she'd have to tell him, but for now his eyes were open, and that was as much as she could hope for.

The nurse stepped into the room, and Temperance's attention was suddenly pulled away from him. Booth could hear her voice, but the words were unintelligible. She wasn't facing him, and he was finding it hard to hear much of anything right now between the constant beeping of the machines, and the rushing of the blood in his head, not to mention the constant pictures of what had happened rolling through his mind. Exhaustion was threatening, and he was feeling slightly dizzy as he felt the nurse moving around near his head. He wanted to move, to fight, only because he didn't know what was going on, attempting to move his head to the side, he felt Temperance's soft hand take his, her voice speaking in a calm and soothing tone as the nurse worked with the endotracheal tube.

The nurse was speaking calmly also, catching his eyes as he then turned his attention back to Temperance. She was speaking softly, her other arm still cradling the little girl who was still sleeping. His brow furrowed as his eyes settled on her, and he quietly wondered how she hadn't woken up through the sounds in the room, or from being moved around so much by Temperance. Suddenly, his view was blocked by the nurse as she tugged at the tube down his throat, attempting to pull it from his throat, he wanted to whimper or cry out, the pain in his throat made it feel as if it were on fire, and his eyes watered as he finally felt his lips close, an oxygen mask immediately placed over his face as he coughed, though the pain was quite intense. He took several breaths as deeply as he could without too much pain. When the nurse pulled away, he found himself looking directly into Temperance's eyes. "He's doing better." The nurse said, as Temperance looked to her with a slight smile and a nod, as her attention went back to Booth. She explained a couple more things to Temperance, who nodded as she listened. Booth could feel his eyelids feeling heavy, and his vision was slightly blurry as he began to fall asleep. The nurse took one more look at the patient and glanced to Temperance. "Call if he needs anything else." She whispered as she stopped and looked down at the little girl. "Has the poor little thing said anything yet?" The nurse asked without thinking of the secret she was revealing.

Temperance looked to Booth, grasping his hand tightly, she shook her head. "She's still sedated." Temperance said softly, trying to keep this information from Booth, again, she didn't want to upset him. "She had another fit this morning, but she still won't speak…it's as if she's waiting for something, like she wants something… but I can't help her if she won't tell me what that is." She whispered as the nurse nodded.

"She's been through a lot, Doctor Brennan… she's a little girl, but a strong little girl. She just needs some time." The nurse said as she turned and walked from the room, leaving Temperance alone with Booth once again. Temperance's eyes went to the man in the bed, and she immediately knew that had heard what she had said about Antonia. He had tears in his eyes as he looked at her with such sadness over the oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.

"Booth…please don't cry…" She whispered as she pulled another tissue from the box. "She'll be okay… she'll be okay." She whispered as she watched him take a deep breath as if he were trying to resist the urge to cry. His eyes closed in pain as she blotted away the tears. She moved her hand to his cheek as she waited for him to open his eyes. She leaned on the bed, still cradling Antonia as she placed her hand behind his ear and pressed her forehead to hers. "I think she's waiting for you." She whispered. "She needs you, Booth. I… don't know what has been going on, and I don't know how…" She whispered with tears dropping from her eyes onto his skin, she sniffled. "I just… I don't… know anything anymore." She whispered, sniffling. "I feel so stupid." She said as his arm moved up and touched her arm, it was the first touch from him to her since he had woken up, and it was like there was electricity pulsing through him. He heard her gasp at the contact and she opened her mouth to speak, when she heard a deep sound coming from the man below her. It was soft, deep and whispering, but the word he spoke could not be mistaken.

"Bones." He whispered through the oxygen mask, as he allowed his tears to mix with hers. That word, and that word alone was all that needed to be said at that moment, for they knew that in time the truth would be revealed, and one woman's grief, and one man's secret would be dealt with and battled. She leaned her head down to his and let her forehead rest on his, their eyes locking in a passionate battle, as the partners were finally reunited.

**-The end- of Part 1-**

**With the knowledge that we will not have a lot of time to devote to this fic in the next couple of weeks, we have decided to stop at this point for this story. The saint in the shadows has been revealed, so it would only be right if we continued this as a separate story. As not to promise you updates and not be able to come through for you, or knowing that you, our valuable readers, will be finding yourself amidst the holiday hustle and bustle, we've decided to begin the second half of this story after New Years. That will give us time to plan the second part accordingly and be able to address the loose ends that this story have unraveled. We appreciate your comments, and would love to hear your thoughts, and even your ideas for the second half (Feel free to PM me with any ideas... don't put them in the comments)... I will post a 'chapter 33' with information on the sequel after the Holidays. With that... Jen and I would like to thank you all for reading this story... and please dont dwell on it's 'ending' here, because it isn't 'ending'. There is far too much left to be told. We would also like to wish you Happy Holidays!**


	33. Author's Note!

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**SAINT IN THE SHADOWS WILL BE CONTINUED IN A FIC ENTITLED: "THE SPACES IN BETWEEN", STARTING IMMEDIATELY!**

**FEEL FREE TO READ AND REVIEW! :)**


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